Students at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College grappled with
the news of a deadly shooting at Michigan State University last week.
And those in the administration, some of the deans thought it would be good to
reach out to the student's comfort them with an email.
Now, of course, that emails aren't really all that comforting.
But you know, what it's especially not comforting?
When the email that's supposed to connect to the students,
ease their worries about the violent environment they're living in
is actually put together by artificial intelligence.
Cuz that's exactly what happened.
So apparently, the Thursday email from Peabody College's Office of Equity,
diversity, and inclusion address the shooting in Michigan but
didn't even refer to any Vanderbilt organizations or
resources that students can contact for support.
Instead, it emphasized the importance of community following the shooting.
So, let me read you the email that the students got.
Dear Peabody family, the recent Michigan shootings are a tragic
reminder of the importance of taking care of each other,
particularly in the context of creating inclusive environments.
What, okay?
Well, all right, let's keep going.
As members of the Peabody campus community,
we must reflect on the impact of such an event and take steps to ensure that we
are doing our best to create safe and inclusive environment for all.
Let's just listen.
So, they use ChatGPT to put this together.
Which- >> [LAUGH] So sad.
>> Is bad enough by the way, like that's the heart of the story.
It's just, there's something kinda callous about that, right?
Especially because if you're gonna make the effort to reach out to the students.
Especially as administrators at universities.
Maybe don't use technology to write it on your behalf because you're too lazy to do
the work yourself.
Okay, that's point number one.
Point number two, do they even bother reading this?
Because it was a shooting, what does this have to do with equity and inclusiveness?
What is this?
Look, I just feel everyone has their own political agenda in their mind.
And they somehow, it's kinda miraculous, they'll use the same talking points.
They'll apply to every issue.
This is a mass shooting.
This is not an issue about racism or the lack of intersectionality.
What is this?
>> Yeah, Ana your point about the fact that they didn't even read it is amazing.
I mean, so it's and by the way, at the bottom of the email,
it says that they use, it has a standard disclaimer saying that they use ChatGPT.
They didn't mean to put that in there.
It's just a standard disclaimer that comes with ChatGPT, okay?
So, not only did they not read the substance of the letter,
didn't even read that they accidentally put that it was written by ChatGPT.
I mean, you can't get any dumber than that.
But if you read the email, I mean just read it.
How lazy are you?
You're at a university a really good one, Vanderbilt.
You didn't even read your own email.
It's like the emails like now because of the shooting in Michigan state university,
we're urging you to drink more orange juice because vitamin
c is really important for your diet.
>> But honestly it's- >> You're like, wait, what?
>> It's just as absurd.
Honestly, it's just as absurd.
The mass shooter at MSU had no ties to the university whatsoever.
It wasn't a race-based shooting.
It had nothing to do with the lack of inclusivity.
None of that.
It is insane that they sent this out and didn't even bother to read it.
Okay, well then they get caught and the students are upset about it and
they start sending out their Mia Copos.
But the Mia Copos are insane too.
>> Because they're probably also written by ChatGPT [LAUGH]-
>> No, we don't have any evidence of that.
So, I don't wanna accuse them of something we don't have evidence of.
But Nicole Joseph.
>> I am very sorry.
I will try to be more inclusive.
No, you're missing the point.
Okay, anyway, sorry, go ahead.
Give them the real one.
>> Nicole Joseph, the associate Dean for the College of Equity, diversity, and
inclusion apologized for using ChatGPT to write the email, calling it poor judgment.
Yeah, I mean, first of all,
if the students use ChatGPTto complete their assignments.
I'm guessing that that would be considered cheating.
No?
>> Yeah, I mean plagiarism or cheating.
Some sort of cheating.
I mean you could definitely get thrown out of Vanderbilt if you're a student and
use after your assignments.
But apparently, it's fine for the faculty and staff.
>> So, here's what Nicole Joseph.
Again, the associate Dean for the Office of Equity diversity inclusion had to say.
While we believe in the message of inclusivity,
expressed in the email using ChatGPT to generate communications on behalf of
our community in a time of sorrow and in response to a tragedy,
contradicts the values that characterize Peabody College.
But okay, as with all new technologies that affect higher education,
this moment gives us all an opportunity to reflect on what we know and
what we still must learn about AI.
No, that is that is not the takeaway.
That is not the takeaway, actually not the take away at all.
This is not a case of ignorance pertaining to AI technology.
This is a case of you guys being so lazy, okay?
Lacking the ability to connect on a human level and
relying lazily relying on this new technology to send out
a message to students about an incredibly serious matter,
having to do with mass shootings and gun violence.
>> This is a cautionary tale about how to use artificial intelligence.
You have to remember to take out the disclaimer at the bottom.
I learnt that lesson.
>> How about this?
Don't send the email at all.
Don't send any email.
Obviously, you guys don't care.
You guys don't actually care, right?
So own it and don't send the email anyway because guess what?
The students aren't sitting around waiting for your damn email anyway.
>> Yeah, your email is 100% irrelevant, right?
We're not telling you to send an email go, ha we don't care.
It's not our college, right?
But you don't have to send one at all, especially if you don't care-
>> Especially if you don't care.
>> And you don't mean it.
So why bother?
Nobody cares anyway.
They don't need your stupid email.
But look, the other part of this that Ana alluded to earlier.
But it is just the same thing about the train
derailment in East Palace Palestinian.
And it wound up being perfect fodder for
the right-wing media and they bid on it, right?
He's like, one of the problems is inclusion and diversity.
>> Let me, I research this over the weekend cuz I was super curious about what
the reality is, right?
So, he's at a conference, okay?
Ten days after the East Palestine train derailment.
He still has not said a damn thing about that derailment as the local
community there is questioning, is it safe to go back home?
Is the government gonna do anything for us?
We're scared of the water.
He doesn't say anything about it.
But during that conference, he talks about, we need more diversity and
construction.
Too many people say that they see the men in the hard hats and
they're not representative of their local community, right?
And it's just such perfect liberal.
It's a perfect liberal talking point.
It sounds so pleasant, right?
The need for diversity, except you look at the numbers,
you look at the demographics in construction jobs and it's very diverse.
I mean, the Latino population is actually overrepresented in construction jobs,
okay?
About a little over 50% of white workers.
I mean, it's actually- >> So,
white people are clearly underrepresented in these jobs that was referring to?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay, so that's fine.
And look, we love inclusion and that industry turns out to be diverse.
That's fantastic, okay?
>> But don't manufacture a diversity issue in construction jobs.
That's what he did.
>> No, I know.
So, what I'm getting to is, it's a smokescreen.
Why did you throw that smokescreen when the numbers don't even justify it?
So, it's not an industry that needs further inclusion or whatever.
And we're talking about the safety issue.
The train got derailed and you didn't regulate them on the safety at all.
That's why you did the smokescreen.
>> Exactly.
>> And so, that's why guys, we love inclusion.
We love diversity.
We're progressives, right?
But don't throw a smoke screen at me on an issue where it has nothing to do
with anything just to cover your ass.
And because you're obsessed with it.
And you've taught even your artificial intelligence to be obsessed with it.