AI working group has updated guidelines for using AI for teaching and studies

The guidelines for using AI applications for teaching and studies have been revised to provide teaching staff and students with a more transparent framework and practical instructions for using AI.

The updated document features a more precise structure, which is based on the principles established already in the first version of the guidelines in 2023: purposeful, critical, ethical and transparent use. Explanations and examples have been provided at each principle to help implement them in practice.

Together with the university’s data protection specialists, more detailed instructions are offered on how to avoid security risks and breaches of data protection rules when using AI applications. For example, data security is ensured when using the Microsoft Copilot extension in the Microsoft Edge browser with a UT user account. The guidelines also include revised recommendations on how to reference and describe the use of AI in written papers.

The text has been updated in other respects as well. For example, the technical instructions for starting a conversation with a chatbot have been removed. As it is not technically possible to detect AI use in written texts (at least for now), the guidelines now state that using software to check students’ written work for AI-generated content is not justified.

The guidelines are available on the university’s website at ut.ee/en/content/guidelines-using-ai-applications-teaching-and-studies.