2. AI and The University of Queensland
UQ students and AI
The experience of being at university can be overwhelming as assessments and competing demands on your time become more insistent. As you progress through the module, consider what you can do to safeguard the quality of your learning experience at university, and demonstrate your critical thinking, knowledge and capabilities in your assessment.
A risk to academic integrity
…it is unclear what proportion of students use AI in their studies. Estimates range from approximately 10% to over 60% of cohorts, with an unknown proportion of this use being inappropriate. As has long been the case with cheating in higher education, it is difficult to obtain an accurate figure for various reasons. What is without question, though, is that some students are using AI inappropriately and that this inappropriate use constitutes a serious immediate risk to academic integrity” (Associate Professor Jason Lodge, 2024, The Evolving Risk to Academic Integrity Posed by Generative Artificial Intelligence)
Coursework students
Check your course profile for each assessment item to find out if AI use is allowed. AI use will be specified for each assessment task. Check with your course coordinator if you are unsure of any requirements.
You can use AI to responsibly to support your study in UQ courses.
AI Student Hub is your resource for understanding and using artificial intelligence (AI) in your studies responsibly. Use it to:
- learn how to use AI responsibly and effectively in your studies
- explore resources, tools and tips to confidently integrate AI into your learning experience at UQ.
Higher degree by research students
AI tools may be useful to help develop your writing skills, but an over-reliance on them for academic writing or the use of AI tools without appropriate acknowledgement may be considered academic misconduct.
Students completing a PhD or MPhil must consult the preliminary pages thesis template regarding the requirements for acknowledging the use of AI in a thesis. Any use of these tools should align with UQ’s Intellectual Property Policy and not prevent you from licensing your work.
UQ staff and AI
The AI Teacher Hub is designed to support UQ staff to use, talk about, and design for AI in teaching. It contains the most current UQ guidance for staff.
UQ’s AI tools
The University of Queensland provides all staff and students with free access to Microsoft Copilot and Adobe Firefly. Equitable access to AI tools for education is critical for student success.
Some free AI tools have been denied for use on UQ-owned devices. Visit the software approval list for more information. Staff and students should consider UQ policies, procedures and licensing agreements when using AI, but also the wider ethical, legal and social impacts of such tools.
AI research at UQ
Artificial Intelligence is being researched at UQ for many purposes — from what students might need in their current studies and future employment, to how it may influence society and develop efficiencies in productivity. UQ AI Collaboratory has information on projects using AI solutions. Some of this transformative work in research includes:
- Agriculture, sustainability and ecology — to assist with modelling and forecasting
- Business and Economics— to transform and engage in digital transactions
- Education — to transform educational platforms, developing tools for students and academics that will assist with teaching, learning and assessment
- Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences — to assist with imaging, prediction, diagnostics, analysis, decision-making, modelling and machine learning, and telehealth
- Philosophy — to consider its ethical use and trustworthiness
- Social Sciences — to explore how AI tools and technologies inform in government policy, interventions and and social services.
Watch Professor Jason Tangen from the School of Psychology talk about the future of AI to transform teaching, research and engagement (YouTube, 10m5s).
