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Advice and Guidance

DeepSeek – Initial Thoughts and Advice.

Another day, another new and slightly unexpected AI development. This time, it’s DeepSeek. It’s been hard to miss the news, but in case you have, here’s a quick summary: Chinese company DeepSeek has surprised the AI world by releasing a model that rivals OpenAI’s ‘chain of thought’ model. This is a model that ‘thinks through’ […]

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Advice and Guidance

AI and Data Security – Let’s Worry About the Right Things

There is, rightly, a lot of concern around AI and data security and privacy. However, it’s important we worry about the right things, and ideally for the right reasons. In particular, we are concerned that too much consideration is being given to the relatively low risks around AI training data obtained through the use of […]

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Advice and Guidance

Microsoft Copilot and Data Protection – an update

  Microsoft are making a change to the data protection offered by Copilot (the web version) which, we think, will make it even more attractive as the default option for most Universities and Colleges. Until now, there has been a difference in the level of data protection offered for the version of Copilot available at […]

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Advice and Guidance

Artificial intelligence and the environment: Taking a responsible approach

As more people begin to use and experiment with generative AI, there is a growing awareness of its impact on the environment and sustainability. Every aspect of the AI lifecycle consumes natural resources, including energy, water and minerals, and as a result, releases greenhouse gases. There is an increasing emphasis on the need to use […]

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Advice and Guidance

The Human Aspects of AI: Society, Diversity, and Education 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a fundamental part of our daily lives. Its integration into various sectors has brought significant transformations, influencing how we work, communicate, and make decisions. While AI offers numerous benefits, it also presents challenges that need to be addressed to ensure its positive impact on society. One critical area that […]

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Advice and Guidance

Generative AI: Interpreting Terms and Conditions for Safe Use

The proliferation of generative AI (GenAI) tools and services is changing academic teaching and research. As digital tool providers increase the availability of these technologies, academics find themselves at a crossroads. The benefits of GenAI tools, ranging from increased efficiency and improved data analysis to innovative content creation are undeniable. However, it’s crucial to explore […]

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Advice and Guidance

Age Restrictions and Consent to use Generative AI

Version 1.1 – 3rd Sept 2024. First version published 9th Aug 2024 One key challenge institutions are facing when looking to adopt Generative AI relates to age restrictions and consent issues for learners under 18. This is not a new problem; age restrictions have been in place for several years when using online tools, and institutions […]

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Advice and Guidance

Do you feel guilty about using GenAI?

Have you ever felt like you were cheating when using GenAI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot 365? You’re not alone, I’ve heard this a lot recently, but let’s unpack why this might not be the case. Traditionally when I start a new piece of work, particularly when it is something I have never done before […]

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Advice and Guidance

What is AI Sovereignty and why does it matter for education?

The phrases ‘Data Sovereignty’, ‘Digital Sovereignty’, and ‘AI Sovereignty’ are coming up more and more, so I thought it would be useful to try to unpack them, and understand why they matter.  The terms sound similar, but I’d argue that they are in fact, quite different, with very different concerns. Data Sovereignty is concerned with […]

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Advice and Guidance

What do we mean by open-source AI?

I’ve been writing a blog post about AI Sovereignty this week, and as I did it felt that I was going to get responses that ‘open-source was the answer’, so I thought it would be useful delve into this as well.  The particular issue I want to explore is that some of the concepts behind […]