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Artificial Intelligence, often shortened to AI, is a branch of computer science that focuses on creating machines or software that can 'think' and learn like a human. In other words, it's about making computers smart! It's the science behind how a computer can understand, respond to, and even learn from inputs (like voice commands, typed text, or images) that it is given.

The video and Issues magazine below are great resources to learn more about AI.

Using AI to support your learning can be an exciting and helpful way to improve your studies and prepare for the future. AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, and it's like having a smart assistant that can help you on your educational journey.

Help with understanding subjects or tasks

If you are struggling with a question or subject, ask AI for help! Try asking an AI chatbot: 'I need help with understanding my maths homework, explain adding fractions to me'.

Learning a new language

Another way AI can assist you is with language learning. AI language tools can help you practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing in different languages. They can even give you instant feedback on pronunciation and grammar, which can boost your language skills.

Help you to generate ideas

AI platforms are great idea-generating tools which could help you plan your essays or think of story plots.

Summarising articles

Try using AI to summarise paragraphs or articles for you to help you understand the content.

Essay feedback

AI can help you improve your essays by suggesting better vocabulary and sentence structures. Try pasting a paragraph of your essay into an AI tool and asking it to give you feedback for improvement.

1. It's important you do not use AI tools to generate an essay and submit it as if it was your own work. The College has strict rules on plagiarism and academic misconduct, which include passing off someone else’s work as your own.
2. If you choose to use AI in the development of your work, you must acknowledge this in the form of a disclaimer.
3. The College checks assignments with AI detection software. If your assignment is found to have been created with AI this could be considered to be plagiarised.

AI is a new and fast developing tool, so guidance around referencing AI is also new and under development. In general, there may not be many situations where you should reference AI, in the same way you would not typically reference google. It is important to remember that generative AI models like Chat GPT are language models designed to emulate language: it does not verify the information it gives, it priorities what sounds right over what is true, and it cannot track where its information came from.

For these reasons, AI should not be relied upon as a source of information, and only ever as a tool to assist you in finding academic sources to support your assignment.

When you have used AI to help create some aspect of your work, you should indicate this in the form of a disclaimer.

Example of a disclaimer:

In situations where you need to provide a reference, you can find guidance below on how to format your reference in your particular style.

Harvard (University of Lincoln) style referencing

The University of Lincoln (UoL) has published detailed guidance on using and referencing AI on their web pages. Because the content is 'non-recoverable' it can be reference like a personal communication. The UoL recommends the following format for Harvard style:

APA 7th style referencing

The official APA blog gives guidance on all matters APA 7. It recommends citing AI in a similar manner to software rather than a personal communication.

"Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation."

 Referencing Chat GPT and similar generative AI models.

Suggested format:

Harvard (Cite Them Right) style referencing

The Cite Them Right Harvard style recommends referencing generative AI in the same way as personal communications.

"If the AI’s end product (for example use of ChatGPT in conversation) is only available to you, cite this as a personal communication and include a description of the AI generated material in your in-text citation."

Suggested format:

Harvard (University of Hull) style referencing

The University of Hull also recommends referencing generative AI in the style of a personal communication.

"In general, because the output of AI tools usually cannot be linked to or reproduced, reference as a 'personal communication'."

Home - Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Library at University of Hull

Recommended format:

For help and support with using AI in research and assignment writing, please contact your Library Information Adviser. Or call and ask to speak with them on 01522 876232.