GenAI basics

Deakin and genAI 

Deakin approaches the use of GenAI with a focus on empowering users and guiding them with clear principles. With that in mind, let’s explore Deakin’s genAI framework, which guides how we work individually, create and share knowledge, and make strategic and ethical decisions.

Deakin genAI principles:

• We empower people through human-led decision-making.
• We use evaluative judgement to guide human-genAI practices.
• We value equitable and inclusive genAI engagement, design and implementation.
• We are committed to an educative and informed approach to genAI engagement.
• We are accountable for safe, responsible and transparent applications of genAI.
• We value innovative, experimental and brave decisions.

GenAI use in your study

Using genAI in your study can be helpful in two main ways: as a tool to support your learning or as part of your submitted assessments. 

For learning: Use GenAI freely to explore ideas, brainstorm, or practice concepts. Think of it as a flexible learning aid to help you understand or refine your knowledge.  
For assessments: When it comes to assessments, it’s incredibly important to follow the rules. Check your unit's assessment guide or ask your lecturer to confirm how AI can be used in that particular task.  

General tips for using genAI in assessments: 

1. Understand the technology: Be aware of its limitations and risks of relying on it. 
2. Critically evaluate outputs: Don’t take AI responses at face value, always evaluate. This means reviewing, fact-checking, and ensuring the work aligns with academic expectations.  
3. Document your use: Keep a record of how you used genAI, including what was your original work and what parts were AI-assisted. Acknowledge this in your work as required.  

By following these steps, you can use genAI as a valuable tool while meeting your academic and ethical responsibilities. 

What are the accepted uses at Deakin?

Deakin is an innovative and proactive educator that aims to develop student capacity to utilise current and emerging technology. You are encouraged to undertake these modules to develop the awareness, knowledge and skills to use genAI tools ethically and responsibly.

We do not recommend relying on AI-generated content as a primary source of information. Click on the flipcards below to learn some of the risks and limitations of genAI outputs.

While you can use genAI as a prompt to investigate a topic, it will require further research from credible sources.
 

Caution

Use any generated output (learn more) cautiously, selectively and critically - and always acknowledge where and how you have used it.

---

Using genAI tools responsibly

To use genAI tools responsibly, there are some key considerations to keep in mind:

• the academic integrity of your final work
• your own privacy and security
• your legal and ethical obligations.

How is academic integrity applied to genAI at Deakin?

Consider the below guidelines when using genAI in your study and assessments:

1. Make sure the final product is your own work, and not just copied from an AI generator. You can use the generated text as a learning tool for inspiration or guidance, but the final submitted assessment must be your own work, creation, and analysis.

2. Acknowledge genAI tools used in your assessments. Ensure that you appropriately acknowledge any content generated by AI that you use in your work, and clearly indicate where you have used an AI-generated tool and to what extent. In addition, be aware of the University’s Student Academic Integrity policy and your responsibility to follow it.

3. Understand the risks and limitations of using such tools and critically evaluate any output they produce.

Your privacy and security

Did you know that AI tools learn from and use the information that has been input by users? That’s why it’s important that you don’t enter any sensitive or personal information into genAI tools.

Consider that both the input and the output is stored by the owner of the AI tool. What happens to this in the future? What happens if the inputs and outputs are connected to you and become publicly available?

Legal and ethical considerations

Although the content generated from AI may be unique, it is based on the data used to train the tool and may breach intellectual property requirements. Caution should also be taken in the prompts given to AI.  Prompting AI to create a work that closely resembles or incorporates copyrighted materials may also breach copyright.  For example, prompting AI to generate an image of Darth Vader playing hopscotch with Yoda.

Also be aware, with any content submitted to an AI platform through your prompts, you often grant the AI services the right to re-use and distribute this content and that may result in a breach of copyright. Providing copies of text, images, sound, or video that you do not own the copyright for when prompting AI is likely to be a breach of copyright.

How do I reference the use of the genAI tools at Deakin?

All sources used in assessments, including AI-generative tools, require full and proper acknowledgement. Using AI-generated content without acknowledgement is a breach of academic integrity that may result in academic misconduct allegations and subsequent consequences.   

The Deakin Guide to Referencing has advice on when and how to acknowledge the use of AI tools. This information is likely to be updated, so please check back on this advice each trimester.
 

Tip

Go to your required referencing style in the Deakin Guide to Referencing, then navigate to Other Sources > Artificial Intelligence.

---

Check your understanding

Now that you have read about the ways you can use genAI responsibly at Deakin, have a go at answering these questions to test your understanding. Once you've answered each question use the arrow button to move to the next question.
 

Last updated: 28/02/24