University of Kentucky publishes AI policies for research

The students, faculty and administrators at the University of Kentucky on Tuesday updated the university’s guidelines around the use of generative artificial intelligence for research, scholarly and creative activity.

The updates seek to balance the merits generative AI technology presents in research with concerns around bias and issues of generative information when it comes to authorship, transparency and intellectual property rights.

In most cases, the use of generative AI depends on the terms of the disciplinary authorities of the research, such as funding agencies and publications, according to the updates. The university’s guidelines specify that generative AI cannot be listed as an author of research or peer review.

“Generative AI cannot be designated authorship as it cannot be held accountable for issues such as research misconduct/plagiarism or intellectual property misuse,” the guidelines state. 

The updated guidelines also address privacy concerns and call for data privacy review before any protected data is entered into a generative AI tool, regardless of whether the tool is publicly available.

The university’s handling of generative AI on campus is steered by UK Advancing Data utilizations for Value in Academics for National and Campus-wide Excellence, also known as UK ADVANCE. The group consists of 32 students, professors and administrators from various disciplines across campus and provides ongoing guidance around responsible use of AI. Earlier this semester, the team updated the university’s guidelines around faculty use of generative AI in instructional settings and the use of the technology in clinical settings.