An important question you might have is: can I use artificial intelligence (AI) within my project? The answer is ‘yes, but you must be careful about how you use it’.
There are significant and important differences between:
using AI to creatively explore a topic or problem,
using AI as an integral part of a solution to a problem that you aim to solve,
using it to help you to arrive at a solution to the problem, and
using it to help you with the writing of your project report.
Whilst AI can be a useful tool, it must be used in a way that is ethical, appropriate, and does not come into conflict with academic conduct policies and guidance.
What follows is my own personal advice (from a tutor’s perspective). It isn’t official advice from the module team. Always refer to official module guidance, and make sure you speak with your tutor if you are unsure about anything.
I’ll begin by unpacking each of these points. I’ll also highlight the university’s Generative AI guidance and academic conduct policies. I will then share some pointers to some resources that might be useful.
Using AI to creatively explore a topic of problem
Can you use Generative AI (or large language models, LLMs) to help you to find a topic for your project module?
My answer to this question is: yes, but… The ‘but’ part is, of course, with caveats:
Consider the tool or service that you are using and what you know about it. Is it one that is well known and recognised?
Be mindful of the results that Generative AI products produce. In some cases, they can regenerate materials that is subject to copyright.
Be aware that Generative AI can produce responses that are not strictly correct. This means that you should willing to verify the correctness of what it produces.
You must carefully reference and describe its use. You must give details of the tool that you have used, the prompts you have submitted, and the results that have been produced.
Using AI as a solution to a problem
AI can be used within your project to solve a problem.
In some cases, AI products or services could be used as if it they were a separate software component. Your project might be a development project (you may make use of AI), or it might be a research project (you explore what it may mean to use it, and the implications of its use).
Whatever path you choose, you must take the time to consider the ethical implication of its use, and make sure you provide clear and unambiguous references that your tutor (or EMA examiner) can follow.
If you make use of a third-party product or service, it is important to carefully scrutinise its terms of use.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Who is this service run by, and why?
What data does this service produce, and does it have the potential to be biased?
What data is collected, and does it hold onto it unnecessarily?
What are the explicit environmental and financial costs of using this service?
How is it possible to test or validate the results produced from the service?
What would the implications be if the service suddenly stopped working?
Answers to these questions can, of course, feed into both your literature review and the legal, social and ethical section of your project report.
Using AI to gain help to solve a problem
AI is sometimes marketed as a ‘friendly helper’. In software engineering and software development, tools that make use of AI have emerged which promise to provide increases in productivity.
If your project is a software development or implementation project, you may be wondering whether you are legitimately allowed to make use of these tools. My personal answer to this question is: yes, you are allowed. Reflecting the earlier section, there are some caveats:
Be aware that whilst you might understand what the requirements for your software product might be, a general purpose Generative AI service will not. Since language is inherently ambiguous and often relies on hidden assumed knowledge, the outputs produced from Gen AI tools must be scrutinised carefully since they can sometimes be very wrong.
Similarly, be aware that software development ‘productivity’ tools can generate code that can contain errors and security flaws. With this in mind, you need to be prepared to understand what is produced, and not just ‘try out’ code that might solve your problem. You must be willing to reflect on your understanding on what is produced, and critically assess its relevance and usefulness.
In your project report, do make sure that you capture the reflections (and learning) that occurs whilst you use Gen AI tools. Evidence for this can be presented as an appendix, and discussed within the reflection section of your project report.
Reference carefully and thoroughly. Give full details of all the tools you have used, the prompts you have used and the responses you have gathered. You should save all these to an appendix. Doing so will show your tutor and examiner that you have approached everything in a careful and systematic way.
Using AI to help with the writing of a project report
There is a continuum of ‘AI tools’ that could potentially help with writing.
On one hand, there are tools that can offer practical tips and guidance whilst you are writing, such as a word processor grammar checker, or commercial equivalents such a Grammarly (which I have never used, and don’t intend to use). On the other hand, there are Generative AI tools that can be used to reform, and then regenerate your text, perhaps adjusting its style, voice, or overall readability.
I hold the view that it is okay to use ‘whilst writing’ tools, but you should not use AI to rewrite or regenerate text for you. Writing is a graduate level skill. Some practical writing and notetaking advice is available through the Study Skills website and on the writing in your own words pages.
If writing support is needed due to specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or dyspraxia, assistive technologies can, of course, be used. Further guidance about what assistive technologies might best suit your needs can be obtained by through a disability needs assessment process.
Although Generative AI is not recommended, getting someone else to proofread your final project submission is acceptable. The distinction is subtle: generative AI creates new words, whereas seeking guidance from others leaves you to edit and change your own words.
Guidance and policies
The university has produced some helpful guidance: Generative AI for students. Of particular importance is the Generative AI and assessment section. The project module is what is called a ‘category 2 module’, which means ‘you may use Generative AI to assist you in completing an assessment piece’. The guidance also states that “you should avoid relying too much on it” since doing so can prevent you from developing necessary skills.
The guidance also refers to the university’s academic conduct policy. Unauthorised use of generative Artificial Intelligence and automated tools is covered in section 3.6, point 3.6.5 states: “Use of Generative AI must be referenced using the guidelines for the referencing style specified in your module by specifying the AI tool used, the prompt-text (i.e., the question or instruction given to the AI tool) and the date the information was generated, as well as which parts of the assignment content were affected.” (p.15)
The referencing style that is used in this module is the Harvard format.
CiteThemRight
All students have access to a helpful referencing resource called CiteThemRight. This tool offers some useful search facilities, that enables you to find guidance about referencing many different types of resources. A useful page is the Generative AI (Harvard) page.
I studied AI as an undergraduate in the 1990s and found it fascinating. When I was a postgraduate, I heard AI being described as being ‘applied philosophy’ which is a description I really liked. The bit about computing that I really like is that sometimes the machine becomes a mirror to our own humanity. Nothing does this more intriguingly than the current generation of AI.
All this said, I remain an AI cynic. Whilst AI can mirror us, it’s difficult to learn something entirely new from our own reflection. Generative AI shares with us what is already known, and may well present us with text that is either wrong, or completely made up.
There’s two key points here. We have spent a lot of time learning to see our own reflections, and our immediate environment. There are no short cuts when it comes to our own learning. Secondly, a project is all about applying our knowledge, skills and creativity. Generative AI doesn’t and can’t do this for us.
My final view is this: a project about AI, or a project that uses AI is an interesting and exciting prospect. Using AI to help you to prepare a project report is more trouble than its worth, given the amount of detailed referencing you have to do.
TM470 Generative AI guidance
An important question you might have is: can I use artificial intelligence (AI) within my project? The answer is ‘yes, but you must be careful about how you use it’.
There are significant and important differences between:
Whilst AI can be a useful tool, it must be used in a way that is ethical, appropriate, and does not come into conflict with academic conduct policies and guidance.
What follows is my own personal advice (from a tutor’s perspective). It isn’t official advice from the module team. Always refer to official module guidance, and make sure you speak with your tutor if you are unsure about anything.
I’ll begin by unpacking each of these points. I’ll also highlight the university’s Generative AI guidance and academic conduct policies. I will then share some pointers to some resources that might be useful.
Using AI to creatively explore a topic of problem
Can you use Generative AI (or large language models, LLMs) to help you to find a topic for your project module?
My answer to this question is: yes, but… The ‘but’ part is, of course, with caveats:
Using AI as a solution to a problem
AI can be used within your project to solve a problem.
In some cases, AI products or services could be used as if it they were a separate software component. Your project might be a development project (you may make use of AI), or it might be a research project (you explore what it may mean to use it, and the implications of its use).
Whatever path you choose, you must take the time to consider the ethical implication of its use, and make sure you provide clear and unambiguous references that your tutor (or EMA examiner) can follow.
If you make use of a third-party product or service, it is important to carefully scrutinise its terms of use.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Answers to these questions can, of course, feed into both your literature review and the legal, social and ethical section of your project report.
Using AI to gain help to solve a problem
AI is sometimes marketed as a ‘friendly helper’. In software engineering and software development, tools that make use of AI have emerged which promise to provide increases in productivity.
If your project is a software development or implementation project, you may be wondering whether you are legitimately allowed to make use of these tools. My personal answer to this question is: yes, you are allowed. Reflecting the earlier section, there are some caveats:
Using AI to help with the writing of a project report
There is a continuum of ‘AI tools’ that could potentially help with writing.
On one hand, there are tools that can offer practical tips and guidance whilst you are writing, such as a word processor grammar checker, or commercial equivalents such a Grammarly (which I have never used, and don’t intend to use). On the other hand, there are Generative AI tools that can be used to reform, and then regenerate your text, perhaps adjusting its style, voice, or overall readability.
I hold the view that it is okay to use ‘whilst writing’ tools, but you should not use AI to rewrite or regenerate text for you. Writing is a graduate level skill. Some practical writing and notetaking advice is available through the Study Skills website and on the writing in your own words pages.
If writing support is needed due to specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or dyspraxia, assistive technologies can, of course, be used. Further guidance about what assistive technologies might best suit your needs can be obtained by through a disability needs assessment process.
Although Generative AI is not recommended, getting someone else to proofread your final project submission is acceptable. The distinction is subtle: generative AI creates new words, whereas seeking guidance from others leaves you to edit and change your own words.
Guidance and policies
The university has produced some helpful guidance: Generative AI for students. Of particular importance is the Generative AI and assessment section. The project module is what is called a ‘category 2 module’, which means ‘you may use Generative AI to assist you in completing an assessment piece’. The guidance also states that “you should avoid relying too much on it” since doing so can prevent you from developing necessary skills.
The guidance also refers to the university’s academic conduct policy. Unauthorised use of generative Artificial Intelligence and automated tools is covered in section 3.6, point 3.6.5 states: “Use of Generative AI must be referenced using the guidelines for the referencing style specified in your module by specifying the AI tool used, the prompt-text (i.e., the question or instruction given to the AI tool) and the date the information was generated, as well as which parts of the assignment content were affected.” (p.15)
The referencing style that is used in this module is the Harvard format.
CiteThemRight
All students have access to a helpful referencing resource called CiteThemRight. This tool offers some useful search facilities, that enables you to find guidance about referencing many different types of resources. A useful page is the Generative AI (Harvard) page.
Resources
The university level Generative AI guidance for students refers to what is known as the OpenLearn Good Academic Practice Collection which refers to a short course: All my own work: exploring academic integrity.
The library has also provided a pack of training resources that can be used by all students: Exploring Generative AI: critical skills and ethical use. Another library resource that may be useful are the Referencing and plagarism pages.
Reflections
I studied AI as an undergraduate in the 1990s and found it fascinating. When I was a postgraduate, I heard AI being described as being ‘applied philosophy’ which is a description I really liked. The bit about computing that I really like is that sometimes the machine becomes a mirror to our own humanity. Nothing does this more intriguingly than the current generation of AI.
All this said, I remain an AI cynic. Whilst AI can mirror us, it’s difficult to learn something entirely new from our own reflection. Generative AI shares with us what is already known, and may well present us with text that is either wrong, or completely made up.
There’s two key points here. We have spent a lot of time learning to see our own reflections, and our immediate environment. There are no short cuts when it comes to our own learning. Secondly, a project is all about applying our knowledge, skills and creativity. Generative AI doesn’t and can’t do this for us.
My final view is this: a project about AI, or a project that uses AI is an interesting and exciting prospect. Using AI to help you to prepare a project report is more trouble than its worth, given the amount of detailed referencing you have to do.