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A new banner highlighting the policy on using AI-generated material has been developed and experimentally used (has been graduated) at SO and it has resulted$^\dagger$ in

[...] a reduction in posts flagged for AI-generated content.

Now, without beating around the bush, what is our standpoint towards such banner: are we interested in this feature? Would the community be eager to implement it?

Implementation of the banner would involve:

$\bullet$ Two options:

**Reminder**: Answers generated by Artificial Intelligence tools are not allowed on [Site Name]. Learn more

**Reminder**: Answers generated by Artificial Intelligence tools must be cited on [Site Name]. Learn more”

$\bullet$

[...] display once users select the answer field.

$\bullet$

The “new contributor” banner will no longer be shown in the answer field.

$\bullet$ and

All users will see this banner when posting an answer with the option to dismiss. Once dismissed, logged-in users will not see this banner again.

Relevant Links

$\bullet~~ \dagger$ Testing an "AI-generated content" policy banner on Stack Overflow

$\bullet$ Source: Sites can now request to enable a banner to warn about their policy on AI-generated content

$\bullet$ Our stance on AI-generated contents: What to do about answers written by ChatGPT

Update as of $17$th of Jan: The question has received $+10$ upvotes and $-2$ downvotes.

Stephan's answer has $+9$ upvotes and $-2$ downvotes, thus, so far, the community is reluctant in implementing the banner.

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    $\begingroup$ I don't see a need for a new policy. We have numerous ways of reacting to questions and answers that are wrong or poor in any sense, and whether the blame should be attributed to (say) ignorance, incompetence, a small error, a large error or AI hallucinating is secondary. $\endgroup$
    – Nick Cox
    Commented Jan 10 at 16:02
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    $\begingroup$ @NickCox, perhaps you misunderstood (sorry, if I did). This is about implementing a new feature (that will be graduated in SO) but this is not a new policy. It is rather an explicit warning about the prospect of using AI-generated material in answers. Whether we need to follow suit is the question and I think its approval (or otherwise) doesn't involve approving any new or altering any existent policies. $\endgroup$
    – User1865345
    Commented Jan 10 at 16:17
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    $\begingroup$ Sorry to explain myself badly. I don't vote for a new banner because I don't really agree that we need a new policy. SE is already too complicated without adding all sorts of stuff by way of extra warnings. $\endgroup$
    – Nick Cox
    Commented Jan 10 at 17:40

2 Answers 2

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As no-one seems to have anything to say in favour of a banner, I've indicated that our site would prefer not to have one:

https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/384923/225179

We can doubtless ask for one should we change our mind.

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  • $\begingroup$ I am accepting it for it is the present community position. (Although I was reading the post, you seemed to delete it earlier). $\endgroup$
    – User1865345
    Commented Feb 9 at 2:17
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The potential upside: users are alerted to our policy and post less AI-generated content.

The downside (note I am not writing "potential" here): more screen clutter, more complexity. Yet another piece of information for users to digest.

I have not seen a deluge of AI-generated posts here. Conversely, screen space and attention is precious.

I personally do not think we need this feature.

I suggest people upvote or downvote this answer if they agree or disagree with it, and we tally the votes.

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    $\begingroup$ Chatgpt based materials aren't uncommon here (yesterday I came across one, albeit a question and not an answer) but I agree with you that there is not a "deluge". What is hard for me to believe is it would be too much of an intricacy and would increase the clutter; in fact, "once dismissed, logged-in users will not see this banner again." $\endgroup$
    – User1865345
    Commented Jan 11 at 3:57
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    $\begingroup$ This serves very well as essentially the answer I would have given. $\endgroup$
    – Nick Cox
    Commented Jan 11 at 10:32
  • $\begingroup$ It might be too early to call, but I guess, as far as the latest votes, we might conclude that at least now, the community is not too much inclined in the banner. As for our "science" cousins, Maths and Physics have indicated to opt for the banner. Others have not so far either delved into the topic or the voting hasn't gone far yet. $\endgroup$
    – User1865345
    Commented Jan 17 at 13:57
  • $\begingroup$ stats.stackexchange.com/search?q=chatgpt has 62 mentions of ChatGPT in questions and answers, a few of which are about how it works, for example those using the gpt tag, though most seem to hope it will give them answers to questions $\endgroup$
    – Henry
    Commented Jan 24 at 16:02
  • $\begingroup$ @Henry, absolutely. That seems to tie into the discussion here, right? stats.meta.stackexchange.com/q/6473/1352 $\endgroup$
    – Stephan Kolassa
    Commented Jan 24 at 16:12

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