These principles are intended to provide a starting point for approaches to using generative AI in teaching, learning and assessment at Imperial. Imperial supports the use of the principles to frame and underpin activities university-wide as we as a community explore the use of generative AI, progress and develop policy, and establish guidelines.
The principles are presented with careful consideration of, and alignment with, the areas set forth in the university’s Learning and Teaching Strategy. These include growing our digital education capabilities and providing opportunities for discovery-based learning. We aim to do this while maintaining a supportive environment that fosters an increasingly diverse student community, ‘supporting staff and students to turn diverse backgrounds and cultures into an opportunity for mutual learning of different experiences and perspectives.’
We intend to develop our approaches to teaching the competencies and skills associated with generative AI literacy, and to continue to define what it means to be a generative AI-literate learner as it relates to students and staff, including applications for lifelong learning.
We support the idea that the use and application of generative AI will vary across academic disciplines and recognise the opportunities to learn from each other as we apply these principles. We will work collaboratively to identify, create and provide staff development opportunities related to applications of generative AI for learning, teaching, and assessment.
The Principles
The principles are underpinned by Imperial’s core Values. At Imperial, we take a proactive approach to generative AI. The Imperial Values and Behaviours Framework presents the opportunity to approach the use of generative AI thoughtfully and help us to develop sound approaches to ‘how’ we do things, as a critical part of ‘what’ we do. We can apply the core Values in the context of generative AI as follows:
- Respect - We value each other’s perspectives and encourage an environment where everyone can grow, pursue opportunities, and express their individuality, ensuring generative AI is used to empower, rather than diminish, individual experience, perspective and contributions.
- Collaboration - We work together to cultivate inclusive, impactful and community-driven generative AI applications and solutions.
- Excellence - We employ generative AI carefully to enhance our impact, making a positive difference and taking personal responsibility for its effective use, maintaining the highest level of quality in our work.
- Integrity - We act in a principled way with generative AI and inspire trust in our actions by using it responsibly, ethically, and transparently, while addressing challenges with honesty and openness.
- Innovation - We approach the opportunities that generative AI brings with an open mind, exploring new ideas and continuously adapting to its rapidly evolving potential, within a culture of innovation, as outlined in Imperial’s Science for Humanity Strategy.
The principles, below, are not intended to be exhaustive. They are indicative, providing a foundational outline for key areas of work related to our education remit.
The Principles - accordion
- Promoting the critical use of generative AI in teaching, learning and assessment
- Adopting a consistent ethical approach to the use of generative AI
- Building a proactive research community around the use of generative AI
- Take critical approaches to the selection, adoption and use of these tools, as well as their outputs.
- Recognise the limitations of generative AI tools and understand where use of the tools cannot and should not replace human skills and knowledge in teaching, learning and assessment.
- Encourage all in our community to consider appropriate, effective and responsible uses of generative AI in their own learning and to actively develop a mindset of continually evaluating and reflecting on their use of Gen AI as use cases and technologies change.
- Prioritise our understanding of how AI affects academic integrity standards, recognising that new challenges will arise, and that we will therefore need to adapt policy accordingly.
- Adopt transparent processes in evaluating and sharing how generative AI tools are integrated, used, and maintained across the university.
- Proactively address equity related to the adoption and use of generative AI tools and remain open to feedback from our community on these issues.
- Engage in regular assessments of the carbon footprint associated with generative AI tools used across the institution and aim to reduce it through sustainable technology practices.
- Commit to regular reviews of generative AI accessibility for all students and staff, ensuring inclusive access to generative AI tools and that any identified gaps are promptly addressed.
- Develop our capacity to undertake research in the use and impact of generative AI in education.
- Work collaboratively to share best practices and to contribute to ongoing research in AI applications in education.
- Partner with students to evaluate the impact of the use of generative AI in education.
The principles have been adapted from the Russell Group Principles on the use of generative AI in education, published 2023. They were drafted by the AI Futurists, in consultation with the AI Tools in Teaching and Assessment Working Party and the Centre for Academic English. The principles will be revisited and updated regularly.
References
Last updated 5 March 2025
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