UON takes an acknowledgment-based approach to use of GenAI and commits to support staff and students to build their critical AI literacy.
Many staff and students will benefit in the use of AI tools, and you can find further information on permitted uses and how to acknowledge use of GenAI in the Guidance on Assessments section. However, when using GenAI you should also be aware of the risks, including:
Accuracy and reliability: GenAI can produce information that appears factual, convincing and intelligent, but is inaccurate and unreliable. This includes the creation of fake references and hallucinations.
Bias and constraint: GenAI outputs are derived from the data used to train the AI tool. This means GenAI tends to output standard answers that replicate the biases and values in the training data. This can constrain originality and plurality of views, and lead to the further exclusion of marginalised groups.
Privacy, data protection and copyright: When you use a GenAI tool, the information and data you submit could be used to train the GenAI. The following should not be submitted to a GenAI tool: confidential data; data belonging to other people or organisations, i.e. the intellectual property of other people or third-party copyrighted material, unless permission has been granted or is licensed; your own personal data, unless you are prepared for it to surface in GenAI output.
You should always critically evaluate GenAI outputs, verifying them against reliable information sources.
More guidance is available from the links below.