Submissions:2025/Roundtable discussion on using AI in scholarship application

This submission has been noted and is pending review for WikiConference North America 2025.

Etherpad

Title:

Roundtable discussion on using AI in scholarship application

Type of session:

After-Hours Meetup

Session theme(s):

Future of Wikipedia

Abstract:

In recent Wikimedia conferences, there has been a noticeable rise in AI-assisted writing to answer scholarship questions. This includes the recent Wikimania Nairobi and the current WCNA 2025 conference. It ranges from innocuous machine translation from another language into English, to complete ghostwriting to answer every question.

This panel serves to promote and encourage discussion on the framework around using AI in scholarship applications at Wikimedia events. Questions that will be discussed in this panel include:

1. Where do we draw the line for using AI to answer scholarship questions?
2. If we create a rule (whether an outright ban or limiting AI usage to some scenarios), how do we detect and enforce the rule?
3. Some conferences are starting to require short, 1-minute video recordings in addition to the written answers in order to get around any AI ghostwriting. What do you think about this approach?
4. Are we creating an unintentional arms race between those who use AI and those who don't?
5. Are we excluding those who are not proficient in English from participating in regional/global conferences?
6. Other questions?

We will also share what participants have said at Wikimania Nairobi on this topic.

Author name(s):

Andrew Leung

Wikimedia username(s):

OhanaUnited

Affiliated organization(s):

Toronto WikiClub

Estimated length of session

45-90 mins

Will you be presenting remotely?

I will present in-person

Okay to livestream?

Livestreaming is okay

Previously presented?

This discussion will be brought up in Wikimania Nairobi in August as a panel discussion, where the focus is on AI-assisted Wikimania scholarship applications and observations from scholarship review committee members from different Wikimedia regions.

Special requests:

It doesn't have to be "after hours", I can just use any timeblock that fits in the schedule to facilitate this discussion. Ideally, the room configured more like a roundtable or allow seamless discussion between those on and off the stage (or between participants off the stage). So preferably not "lecture style" room.