Many universities await EU guidelines for safe use of AI

Universities are slowly adopting generative AI in their work, but in-depth guidance is still missing for many institutions, with some waiting for the European Commission to set European Union guidelines for safe use, writes Goda Naujokaityte for Science|Business.

AI tools are becoming increasingly common in science, but few universities have come out with their own rules instructing academics, researchers and students how they can be used. A UNESCO survey of around 450 educational institutions published in June found only around 13% of universities have provided their staff and students with formal guidance. The survey found that for those universities that have issued guidance, the requirements vary a lot. Only half have detailed instructions, the rest approve of AI but leave it up to users to decide how generative AI apps are applied. In 40% of cases, the guidance is not written, but only communicated orally.

Next month, the Coimbra Group of 41 European universities is holding a conference on the use of generative AI in universities. The spur was a meeting this summer when a group of research managers from the universities realised that only one of them had started using generative AI. The rest were very curious.
Full report on the Science|Business site