University of East Anglia AI Policy

1.2 The policy does not prohibit the use of Generative AI for teaching and learning but

aims to add clarity around appropriate use for both staff and students and positions

the requirement for ongoing training across the whole community to influence

behaviour and surface best practice.

4.1 The use of Generative AI is likely to be different across the institution by subject area

and across disciplines. Thus, each School of Study should meet at least once per academic

year to discuss the impact of generative AI on their assessment design and set School-level

expectations around the appropriate use of AI for students within their discipline.

4.2 Expectations should be understood by all academic staff within that School, clearly

communicated to students at appropriate points and, where there is a School approach or

practice which differs from the general University guidance (as set out in this policy),

explicitly explained in the assessment briefs.

• UEA aims to encourage, develop and assess written English; unless specifically

required to use AI as part of the assessment submitted work must always be the

student’s own writing therefore they must not copy and paste computer generated

text directly.

Contract cheating occurs when your assessment has been completed for you

partially or wholly by a third party or by artificial intelligence software.

4.1 The use of Generative AI is likely to be different across the institution by subject area

and across disciplines. Thus, each School of Study should meet at least once per academic

year to discuss the impact of generative AI on their assessment design and set School-level

expectations around the appropriate use of AI for students within their discipline.

4.2 Expectations should be understood by all academic staff within that School, clearly

communicated to students at appropriate points and, where there is a School approach or

practice which differs from the general University guidance (as set out in this policy),

explicitly explained in the assessment briefs.

4.3 The use of computer assistance to give the impression that a student has learned more

than they have is academic misconduct.

In other modules, the assessment brief may specifically prohibit the use of certain

technologies where this would also defeat the purpose of the assessment.

Contract cheating occurs when your assessment has been completed for you

partially or wholly by a third party or by artificial intelligence software.

• Generative AI as mentor - timely feedback is crucial for students, and generative AI

can be used to gain ongoing feedback on tasks and assignments. It can also be used

as a tool to help support effective study. Students should reflect on AI feedback and

other outputs against their own knowledge and understanding and report on the

guidance which has been provided and how they may or may not include it in their

work. This is to complement and not substitute for engagement with formative tasks,

and guidance from teaching staff, Learning Enhancement Tutors, Academic

Librarians and others and the University.

• Generative AI as tutor - explanations can be provided to gain understanding.

Inspiration and ideas can be provided. AI can help develop thinking by checking

responses, providing counterarguments and generating questions. Students should

always check AI output against their own knowledge and understanding, and other

sources, as content can be inaccurate biased and misleading.

• Generative AI as researcher-doing a literature search is a crucial part of starting

most items of assessment. Generative AI can be used to surface relevant literature,

however students should be aware that references can be fictional, not current and

non-exhaustive.

Researchers must take full responsibility for the use of Generative AI tools in their Research

and any Data / information / material they have entered into those tools. The University

has provided a Self Assessment Form to assist researchers(refer to section 6 for more details).

Generative AI use must be declared and clearly explained. Researchers must act with integrity

and responsibility to ensure the originality, validity, reliability and integrity of outputs created

or modified by Generative AI tools. This includes ensuring funding applications, participant

information, Research results, reports in relation to those results, publications and future

innovative uses of said results contain accurate information as to the creation and use of the

Research and do not contain false or misleading information.

• Incorrect or inappropriate authorship status for AI generated Data used in publications.

• Incorrect referencing of the contribution of AI.

Researchers must take full responsibility for the use of Generative AI tools in their Research

and any Data / information / material they have entered into those tools.

• Privacy: Generative AI tools may collect and process Personal Data, raising concerns

about privacy. It is essential for Researchers to review the privacy policy of the

Generative AI tool provider and the privacy settings of the tool to ensure compliance

with relevant Data Protection regulations.

• Data accuracy: Researchers must take all reasonable steps to make sure that any

Personal Data that is entered into a Generative AI tool, is not “incorrect or misleading

as to any matter of fact” (refer to advice in section 8).

• Transferring and / or accessing Personal Data outside of the UK: Researchers must

discuss entering Personal Data into a Generative AI tool outside the UK with the

University's Information Compliance Team.

• Data security: Researchers should always check the security settings of the Generative

AI tool.

A DPIA is required by law if you will input personal data where the processing of the personal

data is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individual data subjects.

• Cybersecurity: Generative AI tools may be susceptible to cyberattacks, potentially

exposing sensitive information. Researchers must employ robust cybersecurity

measures to protect Data and systems, and where inputting Personal (including Special

Category Data), Confidential, Third Party, or UEA Business Critical Data / information /

material into a Generative AI tool, will need to check with ITCS that these measures are

in place before using the Generative AI tool.

Currently all projects undertaken by UEA staff and students

or involving UEA that involve the use of generative AI tools or that are building/developing a

generative AI tool must seek ethics approval before starting that research. The exception is when

using a generative AI tool to undertake a literature review.

When a Researcher applies for UEA ethics approval for their Research, for example when the

Research involves human participants (including human tissue, Personal Data, or secondary

Data), or animals, or which may affect the environment or cultural objects (refer to the

University’s Research Ethics Policy), the UEA Ethics Review Committees have a responsibility

to review the Researcher’s documented ethical considerations in their ethics application for

the involvement of the Generative AI tool in their Research.

Ethical and societal risks of Generative AI Research can manifest at different stages of

Research. Generative AI Research has therefore moved the singular moment of ethics

approval at UEA to a dynamic ethics review process, potentially requiring multiple

amendment requests from the applicant(s). The University Research Ethics Committee (UREC)

has agreed that currently, the maximum length of ethics approval for a study involving a

Generative AI tool is one year in the first instance.

• Students should not use content or ideas from Generative AI without appropriate

citation.

When you submit work, it is on the basis that it is your work, and the product of your

own intellectual efforts without any form of falsification or fabrication (including

fabrication by artificial intelligence software). This means that you must

acknowledge (by referencing) material that is not your own, or which you have used.

Put simply, you must reference the sources you use.

Generative AI use must be declared and clearly explained. Researchers must act with integrity

and responsibility to ensure the originality, validity, reliability and integrity of outputs created

or modified by Generative AI tools. This includes ensuring funding applications, participant

information, Research results, reports in relation to those results, publications and future

innovative uses of said results contain accurate information as to the creation and use of the

Research and do not contain false or misleading information.

• Incorrect referencing of the contribution of AI.

6.2 UEA has approved the use of the TurnitIn AI detection software for taught programmes,

but this must be used with caution by Plagiarism Officers only due to reported inaccuracy

and, as with other screening tools, merely one factor in potentially identifying submissions

which warrant further investigation. The tool will not be able to differentiate legitimate use of

Generative AI.

4.3 The use of computer assistance to give the impression that a student has learned more

than they have is academic misconduct.

Contract cheating occurs when your assessment has been completed for you

partially or wholly by a third party or by artificial intelligence software.

allowed to reassess, meaning that they failed the module. In some cases, where the

module is core or compulsory, this would mean that they would have to leave the

course.

• Generative AI for teaching design-ideas for teaching often come through speaking

with colleagues and investigating the pedagogical literature. Generative AI can be

used to generate lesson plans, surface new ideas and approaches.

• Generative AI for content creation-this could involve the generation of templates,

for example letters, case examples to illustrate concepts or scenarios which can be

discussed in teaching sessions. Diagrams and images can also be created, but the

AI tools here are often paid for, and run the risk of copyright issues.

• Generation AI for assessment- answers to example assessment questions to be

shared with students to evaluate the strengths and weakness of generative AI

content. Grouping and marking responses to short answer questions or multiple

choice where AI functionality is part of a software package used to deliver an

assessment and where there remains human oversight.

• Generation of letters to students or other staff using personal data and information.

This is because the software will store data and information and potentially use it for

other content.

• Generation of personalised student feedback on formative and summative

assessment. Students can be encouraged to seek ongoing feedback on tasks and

assignments, but the justification of a mark should be a human judgement.

1.4 Staff should complete training in the following areas;

• Data protection

• Copyright

6.1 As with all technologies UEA will monitor the AI tools on offer on a regular basis and

make the decision if and when to obtain a license for specific tools.

• Students should be aware of privacy and GDPR and not input personal and private

information about themselves or others. This is because the software will store data

and information and potentially use it for other content.

• Students should not input confidential research data, both quantitative and qualitative

or copyrighted data/text into an AI tool without approval. If personal data is to be put

into an AI tool this must be part of the ethics application process.

5.5.6 NOT use unapproved AI tools for University data where this would create

5.7.5 NOT store or share confidential/personal data using unapproved services or

insecure channels; or

5.7.6 NOT disclose University or personal data without authority, consent or lawful

basis.

5.8.3 NOT enter into third-party processing arrangements involving University data

without appropriate approvals and contractual safeguards.

4.2.1.1 completion of mandatory data protection training as directed

• Cybersecurity: Generative AI tools may be susceptible to cyberattacks, potentially

exposing sensitive information. Researchers must employ robust cybersecurity

measures to protect Data and systems, and where inputting Personal (including Special

Category Data), Confidential, Third Party, or UEA Business Critical Data / information /

material into a Generative AI tool, will need to check with ITCS that these measures are

in place before using the Generative AI tool.

1.1 This document sets out the University’s policy for the use of Generative AI in

Teaching and Learning for taught programmes and for taught components of

professional doctorates. The policy will be regularly reviewed by the University’s

Learning and Teaching Committee.

3.1 The UEA Generative AI working group will continue to meet and surface emerging

technologies, opportunities and challenges.

4.1 The use of Generative AI is likely to be different across the institution by subject area

and across disciplines. Thus, each School of Study should meet at least once per academic

year to discuss the impact of generative AI on their assessment design and set School-level

expectations around the appropriate use of AI for students within their discipline.

6.1 As with all technologies UEA will monitor the AI tools on offer on a regular basis and

make the decision if and when to obtain a license for specific tools.

The University

has provided a Self Assessment Form to assist researchers(refer to section 6 for more details).

12 03 25 ADDENDUM: THIS REQUIREMENT IS UNDER REVIEW AS IT IS PROPOSED TO CHANGE

TO A SELF ASSESSMENT APPROACH: