Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been in the news a great deal recently, particularly Chat GPT. This page explores the possibilities and limitations of such tools and considers how to use them responsibly and ethically. Whilst this page provides some basic information, all students at Brookes are strongly encouraged to complete the 'Use of Artificial Intelligence' section of the Academic Integrity moodle course, which will give you more detailed insight into how AI can be used appropriately.


Below are three of the main things to consider when using AI:

AI can provide learning opportunities

Large Language Model Tools (such as ChatGPT and QuillBot) are a range of artificial intelligence tools that can enhance learning if used cautiously, critically and reflectively. If you provide clear and accurate prompts to ChatGPT, you are more likely to get responses that are relevant and appropriate for your needs. When used responsibly in this way, ChatGPT can support your learning, your research and your writing, and ensure that the ideas and arguments presented in your assignments reflect your own understanding of the subject. 

AI has limitations

Be mindful that ChatGPT merely searches for the quickest answers to your questions and collates them for you. By searching for quick (and potentially unreliable or false) answers, you may miss out on the opportunity to develop the critical research and thinking skills that are key to learning at university and making informed decisions generally.

Make sure that you understand the limitations of ChatGPT and take steps to verify any information before using it in your work. Output from ChatGPT may contain falsified or misrepresented references, which should not be used in your work. Use genuine, traceable data and sources of information to verify its responses. Take the time to review and critically evaluate the responses generated by ChatGPT, and only use information that is accurate, relevant and well-supported. Be aware of the potential for bias in texts produced by AI models, including ChatGPT, and take steps to mitigate this in your work.

A crucial part of writing at university is learning to develop your own authorial voice. Using AI tools to generate text can take this opportunity away and remove ‘you’ from your work.

Remember that AI tools should not be used to replace you as the author of your work. If you gain an unfair advantage using AI tools, you may breach the Brookes academic conduct regulations. 

AI can be used at Brookes under the following conditions

Brookes students are required to use the form in Moodle to declare which AI tools you have used and how you have used them. You will be emailed a receipt copy of your completed declaration which you must then paste into an appendix at the end of your assignment.

Seek guidance from your lecturers on the ethical use of AI tools in your particular assignments and research. Some subject areas, such as arts, languages, creative writing and others, may have specific requirements, which means using AI tools is inappropriate.

Use AI with CAUTION (a useful acronym):

Check your prompts. The information you get out is only as good as the requests you put in.

Approach any information the AI tool produces cautiously (be a critical reader).

Understand that Large Language Models (including ChatGPT) are designed only to summarise, predict and generate texts. They won’t do the thinking for you.

Take the time to verify any claims made and check the reliability of any sources.

Identify any use of AI tools (including large language models such as Chat GPT) in the student declaration form (below). Always declare your use of AI tools and explain how you used them.

Observe the principles of Good Academic Practice at all times.

Never submit chunks of text produced by AI as your own work. You may be in breach of the academic conduct regulations.