Introduction to AI Script

At Harper Adams University we recognise the potential that generative AI tools offer our community,
but we also recognise that AI is a difficult ethical area and raises many questions.

This video offers an overview of how students may use AI platforms in their studies. It emphasises
the need to act as a critical user – that is someone who doesn’t just accept everything created by AI.
And it also emphasises the importance of academic integrity.

AI tools can be used to support study in many ways. For example, they can explain key concepts;
produce lists of ideas to help you to get started on research; give feedback on spelling, grammar,
clarity and structure of work; help with revision; generate study plans; and even debate to help
generate alternative viewpoints on a topic.

While we do support the critical and thoughtful use of AI, we also support n individual’s right to not
use these tools; we understand for reasons related to data sharing, views on big tech, and some of
the ethical questions around AI, some staff and students may not want to use AI.

We also understand also that some students won’t have equal access to AI as they may live or work
in locations which have restricted access and there maybe economic barriers to use. Assessment will
not require a use of AI unless it is relevant and necessary to support the learning outcomes of the
module.

This video and the related resources provide insight into how AI could be used, and it raises issues to
inform personal choices about the engagement with this technology.

We are encouraging students and staff to

• Be critical
• Be confident
• Be aware
• Be ethical

In their choices about and their use of AI platforms.

1. Be critical.

Tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Bard respond to users typing instructions or questions called
‘prompts’ with an ‘output’. AI outputs are often very impressive, being detailed and well written, but
it is important to remember that outputs can contain factual errors, including made up 'facts',
quotes, and citations, which are often referred to as ‘AI hallucinations’. These can be difficult to spot
as AI systems tend to use a confident, assertive, and convincing-sounding voice.

For example, if I ask Chat GPT to describe the meaning of sustainable agriculture and use references,
the citations it provides will likely be made up. These can be checked by cross checking with library
sources. When using AI, always check outputs thoroughly for accuracy by checking answers against a
range of appropriate academic sources, such as peer-reviewed journal articles, textbooks and your
own subject knowledge.

You may use AI to see if you have any major points missing from your work, or to give yourself
confidence in your own ideas, but you should always fact check and ask questions about the output.
Be aware that AI outputs can contain stereotypes and biases around characteristics such as race,
gender, sexual orientation, and disability. The internet is full of misinformation and even harmful
disinformation; this is the data that was used to train many AI tools. Be alert to this and remember
to read outputs carefully to ensure they do not reflect biased and inaccurate perceptions.

An example would be – asking AI to generate a story about a superhero – ask what are the
characteristics of the strong, positive characters compared to perhaps people who need support?
Are there assumptions being made in the output?

In an academic scenario – are there assumptions being made about the gender or race of farm
workers, or nurses?

And are the ideas being shared in AI outputs only representing the place where the AI draws it’s data
(often USA and Europe) so that ideas from other parts of the world are largely ignored?

As a curious community we must ask questions of the data outputs from AI and not accept them
without thought.

2. Be confident

Remember that you may well have good, creative or informed ideas that have not been included by
an AI platform in its response. Take care that you remain confident in your own ideas and do not be
put off or change your response because it is different than the answer given by AI.

Many of our assessments encourage you to add your own experiences and to make judgements
about what you think is important.

It can be valuable to use AI to improve your writing. You may paste draft work and ask questions to
help understand how you may be more concise, or how you may write with impact. But again, have
confidence in your style. We don’t want everyone to write like AI. You will have your own style and
flair. Learn about what your personal strengths are. Use AI to get feedback on your writing and
structure but also remember that we don’t want robots to graduate – we want you to develop your
own individual style.

I was personally using AI to get feedback on my own writing, and I felt overwhelmed that I had too
much feedback to action, that the encouragements from AI took ‘me’ out of my own writing, and I
started to feel frustrated. We should have confidence in our own voices and not try to substitute
them or change them too much.

Particularly around assessment work, your tutors will have advised you, you will have developed
ideas through class and through your reading, and you may have practical experiences and insights
that shape your unique view. Use AI as a tool, but don’t allow it to overwhelm you or take away your
own confidence to speak with your own voice.

3. Be mindful.

AI tools such as Chat-GPT are large language models. This means that they were trained to generate
outputs using massive databases of material which was available online at the time of training. Any
information that is now entered into AI through user prompts and logins may be used in the future
to further train and improve AI tools. There are currently few laws governing what can be done with
information entered by users, and this has led some governments and human rights groups to
express concern about data privacy for users of AI.
You should think carefully about entering any personal or sensitive information into AI, for example if
asking AI to check a CV. Additionally, most AI tools require an account to be created, which may
allow profiles to be built about individuals to target them for marketing and advertising.

Be mindful of how each platform uses your data. Read and check the policies or small print when you
sign up.

4. Be ethical.

Using AI to generate all or part of an answer and copy and pasting this into your own work is not
allowed, it represents a serious breach of the university’s academic integrity and academic
misconduct policy. You should never do this.

The university does not encourage citations from AI platforms because there is little or no trackability
of source material. We encourage the citation of material that can be found and understood.

Remember the advice given earlier about using AI as a launchpad for generating initial ideas which
you then go away and research using academic sources such as journals. It is these books and
journals that tutors will expect to see cited and referenced in your work, not AI sources.

Copying AI generated content and presenting it as your own work is academic misconduct and could
therefore result in serious consequences such as significant mark reductions or failure of modules as
set out in the academic integrity and academic misconduct policy.

Similarly, asking AI to source references and failing to then check those papers yourself to ensure
that they exist and do make the stated arguments represents poor academic practice and a lack of
academic integrity.

We would hope that you not only look for original papers, but then, with a curious minds search for
similar and different source material to deepen your understanding.

Alongside risking poor performance in your degree course, actions that show a lack of academic
integrity can have damaging future implications. Harper Adams graduates must possess the skills and
knowledge that their degree suggests they have. It is therefore essential that all students act with
integrity.

A good general rule to keep in mind if you are unsure is that your work should reflect your own
understanding of a topic and your voice and curiosity should drive your work. All work must
demonstrate the common academic integrity principles of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and
responsibility.

Make sure to seek advice and continue to engage with tutors and others who support you.
Sometimes you may specifically be asked to avoid using AI and other times you may find it
productive.