This guidance sets out the University of Bristol’s approach to using generative AI on taught degree programmes. The responsible use of generative AI is foundational to our educational vision to inspire students, and to equip well-rounded graduates with skills for the future. Here we set out an approach for the responsible use of generative AI, identifying how best to make use of its potential to support learning, and how to guard against learning losses. Generative AI should not replace activities that develop intellectual rigour, student agency, and students’ capacity to work through complex problems themselves. As an institution that prides itself on pursuing sustainability and contributing to the public good, we need to embrace a principled approach to generative AI, being aware of the environmental impacts, risks of bias and stereotyping, and ethical concerns about data privacy and security.   

Large Language Models (LLMs) which make up common generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot can synthesise huge quantities of content from the internet, at pace. This can mislead users into believing in generative AI’s innate intelligence, and its capacity to synthesise and understand the meaning of the content it generates. From an educational perspective, its focus on knowledge and content is unhelpful. It detracts from the intellectual practices and skills that students need to display in their learning: original thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and higher order thinking. Moreover, generative AI reproduces bias and stereotyping, hallucinates, and makes mistakes. It requires discernment and the critical faculties of a human being to evaluate outputs generated by artificial intelligence. This is why we need a principled and responsible stance for its use, or we risk selling students short of the skills and knowledge that they need to graduate with a worthwhile degree from the University of Bristol.  

Our Guidance

This guidance is for all staff who teach and support learning. Across the university, staff are using generative AI to different extents in their teaching and assessment. Many of the recommended actions set out in the guidance may already be in use by academics on programmes and units of study.  Our guidance sets out the University’s position on generative AI as part of ongoing conversations in schools and faculties, and at University Education Committee. It seeks to establish a common framework for a more consistent and systematic approach for using generative AI which allows for creativity and experimentation. The guidance directs you to sources of support, BILT’s educational development projects on AI in teaching and Assessment, and the work of BILT Associates on the same; the Study Skills resource on using AI for students, and further reading.