Our role in Imperial's response to GenAI in education

As a centre with cross-faculty expertise in academic and professional communication, CfAE actively contributes to Imperial's approach to AI in education. As developments in generative AI (GenAI) continue to reshape communication, CfAE is committed to guiding students and staff in using these technologies critically, responsibly and effectively in ways that support learning, maintain ownership and strengthen communication expertise.

Our guidance focuses specifically on the implications of GenAI for academic and professional communication, and is intended to complement guidance issued by departments, supervisors, publishers, funding bodies and other relevant authorities. Where specific requirements apply to a particular assessment, module, research project, publication or professional context, those requirements should always take precedence.

Our guidance on GenAI in academic and professional communication

Using AI to support, not replace, your learning

In academic and professional contexts, communication is not simply a way of presenting ideas. It is also one of the primary ways in which ideas are developed, tested, refined and evaluated. Human thought therefore remains integral to any ethical collaboration with GenAI. CfAE believes that maintaining ownership of communication depends on maintaining agency throughout the communication process. Although AI may generate suggestions, you remain responsible for defining the purpose of your communication, making key decisions, evaluating outputs and determining the final form of your work. Before defaulting to using GenAI, it is important to consider which aspects of a communicative task can appropriately be supported by technology and which require your own independent thinking.

When deciding whether a particular use of GenAI is appropriate, useful questions to consider include:

  • Learning: Am I using GenAI to support my learning - or to avoid part of the learning process?
  • Judgement: Do I have enough understanding to be able to evaluate AI-generated output?
  • Ownership: Would the final communication genuinely represent my own understanding and judgement?

These questions can help you retain ownership of your work and learning while remaining accountable for the ideas, claims and decisions you communicate.

Expectations regarding the disclosure or acknowledgement of GenAI use vary across disciplines, assessments, publishers, funders, and professional contexts. Students and staff should therefore familiarise themselves with any applicable requirements and ensure that their use of GenAI is appropriately documented where required.

Critically evaluating AI-generated outputs

CfAE recognises the potential of GenAI tools to support academic and professional communication. However, AI-generated outputs should be treated as material for consideration rather than solutions to be accepted automatically. These outputs can appear fluent, persuasive and authoritative, but fluency alone is not synonymous with effective communication. Effective communication depends on factors such as clarity of purpose, audience awareness and the ability to construct a coherent narrative that conveys your own understanding and judgement. AI-generated suggestions should always be evaluated critically, as they will not necessarily align with these elements and may even weaken, distort or misrepresent them.

GenAI tools can support reading by helping you identify key concepts, clarify terminology, compare perspectives or generate questions for further investigation. However, AI-generated summaries should not be treated as substitutes for engagement with original sources. The value of academic reading lies not simply in acquiring information, but in developing the judgement to evaluate evidence, assess methodology, identify limitations and interpret findings. AI can help you navigate sources more efficiently, but it cannot undertake this critical reading on your behalf.

Prioritising human interaction and communication

As members of a world-leading academic community, Imperial students and staff benefit not only from access to information but also from participation in the conversations through which knowledge is developed, evaluated and refined. GenAI cannot replace the value of connecting with other members of the Imperial community and learning through interaction with them. Discussions with lecturers, supervisors, colleagues, collaborators and peers help you test ideas, receive expert feedback, challenge assumptions and develop new ways of thinking. Over-reliance on AI risks reducing opportunities to develop as a communicator by engaging in these meaningful conversations. CfAE therefore encourages the use of AI in ways that support, rather than replace, these experiences.

Our overall goals

CfAE's short-term goal is to help Imperial students and staff use GenAI critically, responsibly and effectively in academic and professional communication. Our longer-term goal is to help ensure that the Imperial community continues to be recognised not only for technical excellence but also for the independent thinking, evaluative judgement and intellectual leadership that underpin STEMB innovation. As AI evolves and becomes increasingly integrated into education and the workplace, these human capabilities will become more, not less, important. By helping students and staff develop these capabilities, CfAE aims to contribute to a positive and sustainable culture around the use of AI that aligns with Imperial's commitment to excellence and its mission of Science for Humanity.

For further guidance on more general aspects of using GenAI, please refer to Imperial's Generative AI and Education Guidance Hub.

Page last updated: 18/08/2026