How to Use Artificial Intelligence

Skills for Success / Academic Skills / How to Use Artificial Intelligence

1. Introduction to AI at University

Welcome to this quick guide about how you can use AI to help you at university.

Here is an infographic introducing AI for university students. You can find the full text below the infographic if you prefer.

**Please note that you should always follow the official LSBU Guidelines regarding the use of AI. Any information or guidance we give in our web pages is, to the best of our knowledge, in accord with these LSBU rules. However, please always check the official Guidelines.

Guidance to Students on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence: This is the official LSBU document.

AI at University: Opportunities, Challenges and Guidelines

**Please note that you should always follow the official LSBU Guidelines regarding the use of AI. Any information or guidance we give in our web pages is, to the best of our knowledge, in accord with these LSBU rules. However, please always check the official Guidelines.

Guidance to Students on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence: This is the official LSBU document.

Opportunities

Education is changing rapidly because of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and this brings challenges, but also amazing advantages for students. 
AI could be the best teacher you ever have! It can:

• Give personal interactive teaching

• Give you lessons customised to your needs

• Help with tackling assignments

• Manage your time

• Give feedback on your work

• Support disabled students by reading out text or writing down spoken words.

AI is like having your own personal expert teacher available 24/7. And AI is always interactive, patient, and helpful. With AI you can learn at your own pace and get the answers you need.

However, the amazing abilities of AI mean that you might lose sight of the real reason you are at university, which is to develop your mind. If you use AI to do your assignments for you, you will miss out on the main purpose of your time at university.

Challenges

What are the possible problems of AI and what is the right way for students to use it?

• Firstly, it is very important to realise that AI is not completely reliable and objective, so don’t accept everything an AI says – you still need your own critical thinking. (See Guidance about AI bias and hallucinations from our Information Skills Librarians for lots more information about this weakness of AI). 
• Secondly, students might misuse AI to complete assignments, missing out on the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills. It's essential to use AI ethically and responsibly.
• In addition, there are security risks: Uploading intellectual property or personal information can compromise privacy if you don’t use LSBU approved AIs.
• There is also the real possibility of over-reliance on AI, which can weaken critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• If you use AI a lot to paraphrase and summarise, you might forget to include the references, leading to unintentional plagiarism.

For specific questions about how to use AI in your course, consult your instructor.
And remember, be clear and honest about when and how you have used AI in your work. According to LSBU guidelines, you should declare your AI use with the LSBU Originality and Use of AI Statement.

Guidelines for Ethical AI Use:

Here are some basic guidelines for students so that you can use AI safely and ethically:

•  Use AI to support learning – not to avoid learning! 
• Disclose AI assistance and say how you used it. See Form 
• Avoid uploading personal or private documents to AI tools that are not secure. 
• Verify and think critically for yourself to make sure information from an AI is accurate. 
• Do not use free versions of Copilot or other AIs, unless your teachers have approved them. Use LSBU Copilot through your LSBU student account. It is a secure and protected version of Copilot. 
• Properly acknowledge AI-generated content (e.g. put references). 
• Transparency: Disclose AI assistance according to university guidelines.
• Improper attribution of AI-paraphrased sources can lead to plagiarism. 
• Don’t rely too much on AI – you need to make sure you are developing your own critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

It is important to realise that AI is not completely reliable and objective, so it is unwise to accept uncritically whatever an AI says. See Guidance about AI bias and hallucinations from our Information Skills Librarians for lots more information about this weakness of AI.  

Multiple Choice Question