The Group of Eight (Go8) universities, who undertake 70 percent of Australia's university-based research and educate 440,000 of the nation's university students have developed a set of principles to guide the approach to the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools across its members.
Go8 universities are committed to the ethical and responsible use of generative AI and to preparing our students, researchers and staff to be leaders in an increasingly AI-enabled world.
As we navigate the opportunities and risks of this new generative AI frontier it will be important for the Government to invest in research and development in AI and related technologies – to ensure Australia can develop its own generative AI resources.
Chief Executive Vicki Thomson said:
"Generative AI has the potential to transform the way we teach, learn, assess and access education and offers huge opportunities for society and the higher education sector. The Go8 is determined to grasp those opportunities in ways that benefit students, researchers and staff, while protecting the integrity of the Go8's quality education offering and world class research.
"Generative AI is a relatively new frontier and the Go8 has acted quickly to adopt best practice in this area. We are leveraging the substantial expertise of our academic staff in AI, ethics and education to develop the resources required to build capability and AI literacy across all fields.
"Prohibiting the use of generative AI in higher education is both impractical and undesirable - the jobs and leaders of the future will be those who can apply human qualities and skills to the use of AI.
"In collectively developing these principles we have been guided by the Australia's AI Ethics Principles and worked collaboratively with our international counterparts to ensure world's best practice".
The five principles are:
- Maintaining academic excellence and integrity in teaching, learning, assessment and research will continue to be a priority for Go8 universities as they adapt and lead in the responsible use of generative AI.
- Go8 universities will promulgate clear guidelines for the appropriate use of generative AI technologies by their academic staff, researchers and students.
- Go8 universities will develop resources to empower students, academic and research staff to engage productively, effectively and ethically with generative AI.
- We will work to ensure equal access to generative AI.
- Go8 universities will engage in collaborative efforts to exchange and implement best practices as generative AI technology and its role in society continue to advance.
Read the principles in full here.
