Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) guide for students and staff

Bond University recognises the potential of Generative AI (Gen-AI) to enhance learning, teaching, and human efficiency. We encourage staff and students to engage with Gen-AI responsibly. This page outlines our approach, offering a central hub for you to explore as a valuable support tool.

Using Gen-AI to promote your abilities

All students and staff are encouraged to use Gen-AI to promote their personal and professional agency to achieve the Bond University graduate attributes. Agency is the ability to be in control, make choices and exercise freedoms in line with responsibilities and codes of ethics. This means that how you use Gen-AI depends on the context including place, purpose, regulations, and rules. 

In every case, Gen-AI should be used only to promote abilities you have already developed and demonstrated in prior learning and its use must be based on established principles. It's important to understand that using Gen-AI as a replacement for your work is an academic integrity violation. 

Five guidelines for Gen-AI use at Bond University

The following guidelines ensure students and staff use AI ethically and effectively to support the University's learning experience.

1. Only use Gen-AI to enhance, not replace, your creativity and skill

While Gen-AI can be a powerful aid, it should not be a substitute for the unique abilities and creativity of our students and staff. Instead, it should be used to:

  • Boost our productivity: Allow Gen-AI to handle repetitive or time-consuming tasks, freeing you up to focus on more complex and creative aspects of your work.
  • Inspire new ideas: Use Gen-AI to generate suggestions, ask questions, or provide insights that can spark your unique creative process.
  • Refine our work: Leverage Gen-AI to polish and improve your output, but ensure that the core ideas and execution remain your own.

Students and staff are expected to ensure they can perform tasks independently with the skills and knowledge they have acquired, without relying solely on Gen-AI. This builds confidence and competence in their abilities. Exposure and experience are key to developing unique human skills. By actively engaging in tasks and challenges, our Bond community builds creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking, which are irreplaceable by AI alone.

You are not permitted to use Gen-AI to translate your work to English from another language that you use to communicate; Bond University wants you to show us that you are learning authentically, and you know how to communicate authentically in English within our English-speaking and -writing community. 

2. Follow the Bond University AI Assessment Framework

Different classes, pieces of assessment, publications, employers and organisations are establishing regulations for the use of Gen-AI in their operations. Always consult and be clear on acceptable use. Always check which AI category applies to your assessments and ask for clarification if you have questions. 

Although we encourage all students and staff to explore Gen-AI, we do not view it as a universal tool for all applications; indeed, we ask everyone to be mindful and deliberate in their use of Gen-AI. 

Students are expected to follow transparent disclosure practices, stating when and how AI has been used in their work. Assessments are being designed to prioritise authentic learning and minimise over-reliance on AI. The University is also updating AI-powered plagiarism detection tools to better identify inappropriate use. To support ethical decision-making, education around the responsible use of AI is being embedded into the curriculum.

3. Use must adhere to Bond's ethical use of Gen-Ai

We have developed a guide to Ethical use of Gen-AI in Education at Bond University which is essential for all student and staff to follow. Importantly, it begins with academic integrity and transparent disclosure. The style and detail of each acknowledgement will vary depending on context and medium. Use the Six-Step Gen-AI Statement Template, review the Library Gen-AI Referencing FAQ and always consult the authority, such as your subject educator or the publisher for their requirements.  

Ethical AI use in education

Gen-AI is powerful. Any powerful tool must be used with caution and adhere to ethical and safety guidelines. The use of Gen-AI at Bond University must align with Bond’s Principles of Academic Integrity, and uphold the Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy. All new students are required to complete the compulsory Academic Integrity Module. Continuing students should revise the module at least once each year. The University community has identified six criteria for ethical use of AI in education. Students and staff are required to adhere to these criteria. 

Academic integrity and plagiarism
  • Clear Attribution Standards and transparent disclosure
  • Design and implement Authentic Assessment
  • Update AI-powered plagiarism detection tools
  • Embed ethical education in curriculum 
Data privacy and protection
  • Data Minimisation: Restrict AI tool access to only essential, non-sensitive data
  • Protect Intellectual Property and avoid uploading personal or confidential information
  • Copyright infringement risks in inputs/outputs
  • Respect University-Publisher agreements, and protect rights of creators of original work 
IT security
  • Implement Robust Data Governance Frameworks: to ensure responsible collection, use, and protection of student & staff data, ensuring compliance with privacy laws
  • Regular security audits of AI tools for encryption, access controls, & data retention
  • Only promote the use of the University-approved AI tools 
Bias and fairness
  • Diverse Data: Prioritise diversity and inclusivity in the data used to train AI systems, ensuring representation of all student groups
  • Media Literacy Education to identify misinformation in AI output
  • Mitigate educational inequalities: ensure equitable access to AI tools and equitable opportunities for students to achieve learning outcomes
  • Consistent messaging of student expectations on AI tools and permissibility 
Transparency and explainability
  • Disclosure Requirements: Faculty must outline permitted AI uses in subjects and assessments, including limitations, and submission requirements
  • User Education: Educate users about the capabilities and limitations of AI systems 
AI courageous community
  • AI Literacy Programs: build human capacity and ensures human oversight and accountability for AI use.
  • Rational inquiry with AI, through the use of pluralistic and reliable sources of information, and enhanced data, media and information literacy. 
4. Use must include considerations of risk and limitations

There are many risks and limitations associated with Gen-AI output. Everyone must consider that:  

Gen-AI output is often unreliable

Gen-AI calculates answers based on your input. It doesn’t “think” and can’t understand the meaning of the input or the results. It may also generate a fake response (an ‘AI hallucination’) such as generating fake references. 

Gen-AI output can be biased 

Gen-AI’s data sources are limited. Gen-AI tools do not consider that their answers may be discriminatory, and that marginalised people might be under-represented. This can result in biased and inaccurate output.  

Gen-AI output is often dated

Gen-AI’s data sources rely almost completely on text that may be outdated. Because of this, the response Gen-AI gives you may no longer be correct. 

At Bond, we’re actively addressing the risks and limitations of AI use. We're working to ensure the data behind AI tools is diverse and inclusive, so all student groups are fairly represented. Media literacy is being integrated into coursework to help students spot misinformation in AI outputs. We're also focused on making AI tools accessible to everyone, supporting equal learning opportunities. Clear guidelines are being shared to help students understand what’s expected and what’s allowed when using AI in their studies.

To support responsible use, faculty are clearly outlining how AI can and can’t be used in each subject and assessment. This includes any limitations, required disclosures, and how AI-assisted work should be submitted. At the same time, students are being supported with education around what AI tools can and can’t do, helping you make informed decisions and use these technologies effectively and ethically in your studies.

5. Protect privacy, IP and commercial agreements

As part of their prompt interface, Gen-AI platforms allow content to be submitted for evaluation. This content may include typed or pasted text, images, and documents. Most Gen-AI tools collect data and learn from the content shared by users. Organisations that own and operate Gen-AI tools are rarely transparent about how they may use and share user-submitted content. Every use of Gen-AI must protect individual privacy, intellectual property and commercial agreements.  

Individual privacy

Names, birthdates, physical characteristics, photographs, maps, psychological profiles, phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses and other information about individuals or organisations shared in Gen-AI platforms may be used in the future in ways not yet predicted or understood. It is essential to anonymise all references to people and organisations. Staff and students must never submit information about each other,  study participants, or third parties such as clients, customers, or patients to Gen-AI platforms. Over time, some AI tools will build protections into their systems. However, it will be essential that all users are assured of those protections before uploading personal or organisational information. 

Intellectual property

Original works, whether text, audio, image, video or scanned physical structures or artworks usually are the property of a rights holder. AI users should only input or upload content that is owned by them and content which they are comfortable being used by the AI platform. Examples of Bond University materials that should NOT be uploaded include lecture slides, class materials such as task sheets and rubrics, and class readings.  

Commercial agreements

The Bond University Library has prepared a clear detailed statement and FAQ about uploading library resources into AI tools. Most library resources are provided under license, and most licences prohibit uploads to Gen-AI platforms.  

For non-library materials, the obligation to check any commercial license restrictions rests with the student or staff member seeking to use them with the AI platform.

While Gen-AI can be a powerful aid, it should not be a substitute for the unique abilities and creativity of our students and staff. Instead, it should be used to:

  • Boost our productivity: Allow Gen-AI to handle repetitive or time-consuming tasks, freeing you up to focus on more complex and creative aspects of your work.
  • Inspire new ideas: Use Gen-AI to generate suggestions, ask questions, or provide insights that can spark your unique creative process.
  • Refine our work: Leverage Gen-AI to polish and improve your output, but ensure that the core ideas and execution remain your own.

Students and staff are expected to ensure they can perform tasks independently with the skills and knowledge they have acquired, without relying solely on Gen-AI. This builds confidence and competence in their abilities. Exposure and experience are key to developing unique human skills. By actively engaging in tasks and challenges, our Bond community builds creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking, which are irreplaceable by AI alone.

You are not permitted to use Gen-AI to translate your work to English from another language that you use to communicate; Bond University wants you to show us that you are learning authentically, and you know how to communicate authentically in English within our English-speaking and -writing community. 

Bond preferred Gen-AI tools

Bond University is committed to providing equitable access to Gen-AI tools for students and staff. The University has acquired licenses for all staff and students to use the following tools. 

Grammarly

A writing tool known for checking grammar, spelling, and punctuation, Grammarly understands and analyses text while suggesting changes in line with target audience, desired tone and style. It uses gamification that aids learning that leads to better writing. “Grammarly is an example of natural language processing (NLP) artificial intelligence that identifies the meaning of text and recognises its context to activate grammar, spelling and punctuation rules."

Microsoft CoPilot

All students and staff can access CoPilot through the Edge Browser after single sign-on. CoPilot interactions are not recorded, scraped, or used by anyone other than the account holder; Microsoft provides every enterprise a self-contained instance of its model for its exclusive use.  According to CoPilot, “Microsoft Copilot is an example of conversational AI that leverages the GPT-4 architecture. It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives,” (CoPilot, personal communication, 21 March 2025) 

Helpful CoPilot agents to get started with:

  • Prompt Coach - Write and improve your prompts
  • Prompts - Explore, save, and share prompts with CoPilot Prompt Gallery
  • Idea Coach - Plan and navigate the brainstorming process
  • Learning Coach - Unlock your potential with Learning Coach
Adobe Firefly

All students and staff can access Firefly through the Bond Adobe Creative Campus page. With text prompts, Firefly can generate images, audio, and video.  

iLearn AI Conversations

AI Conversations are for exploring a topic or scenario with an AI persona that was defined by the subject educator, where available.

Other tools

Bond University does not provide support for these tools, nor has the University approved any desktop-based software that may be associated with those solutions.

ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, NotebookLM, Llama, and Grok

Many other AI tools are commonly used in the Bond University community. Although these are not included in the University’s preferred tools, we recognise that their unique capabilities mean they can assist students and staff in their work. These tools pose greater risks to privacy, intellectual property and security than preferred tools. Therefore, the university instructs that no university content be shared (uploaded or copied into) these or other tools.

Prohibited tools

DeepSeek

Getting Started with Gen-AI microcredential

This free, self-paced, course is designed to introduce Bond University students to generative AI and the implications for learning. Generative AI represents a paradigm shift in how technology can create, innovate, and interact with human activities. University students today need to understand generative AI for several compelling reasons. AI technologies are becoming more widely used across industries.

Enrol now

How students can use Gen-AI at Bond University

Artificial Intelligence can be used for a wide range of purposes including planning, editing, sorting, structuring, designing, formatting, analysing, and visualising. There are many reasons to use Gen-AI, just as there are reasons not to use Gen-AI.  

LEARN MORE

Artificial intelligence position statement

Generative AI (Gen-AI) learns, creates and curates information in ways that can be beneficial. However, it has important and potentially dangerous limitations. As a university, we accept the responsibility for enabling our students and staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to use these tools ethically and responsibly. Ethical use begins and must always include acknowledgement of the use of a Gen-AI tool each time one is used; however, ethical AI use in education is complex, as we outline below. 

Our commitment is to ensure that our graduates are prepared to provide entrepreneurial and strategic leadership in a future world of quickly evolving technologies. This commitment is backed by a university-wide Gen-AI Action Plan and guidance from national bodies such as the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) and the many professional accrediting bodies that back our programs.  

Amount of use

At Bond University, students can use Gen-AI where educators allow it. This includes classroom activities, discussions, revision, assessment development, and presentation planning. Most Gen-AI use will likely be for assessments, but not all tasks permit it. Staff must clearly communicate AI usage guidelines, and students need to follow these instructions carefully.  

For all students and classes, do not use Gen-AI to translate your work from another language into English. It is OK to use Gen-AI to translate a word or a phrase, but you MUST NOT prompt Gen-AI tools to translate full sentences, large blocks of text, or entire documents. Learning how to construct your thoughts and communicate your ideas in English is an essential part of your Bond University experience. At most, use Gen-AI as a translation DICTIONARY, not as a translator. 

The do's

  • Check course materials and assessment instructions for Gen-AI guidance.
  • Confirm with educators before using Gen-AI.
  • Ensure use of Gen-AI upholds the Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy.
  • Be critical of the output, ensuring it’s reputable, accurate and current.
  • Declare the use of Gen-AI in accordance with the latest advice from the Library.
  • Submit a Statement of Authorship with every assessable piece of work.
  • Use Bond recommended tools
  • Refer to the Bond University AI Assessment Framework (below).
  • Refresh your knowledge regularly — advice on Gen-AI changes frequently. 

The Bond University AI Assessment Framework

The Bond University AI Assessment Framework establishes clear categories for integrating AI into academic assessments, ensuring academic integrity, assurance of learning, and the development of digital literacy among students. Each category outlines expectations regarding AI use, balancing the need for independent learning with the realities of an evolving knowledge and skills landscape. Subject outlines and iLearn sites will indicate which category applies to an assessment item. 

Many assessments will require students to use Cadmus, a secure, cloud-based online platform that provides assessment task instructions, academic resources, referencing guides, and submission tools in one place. Cadmus helps students with prompts and reminders, supports academic integrity, and provides access to feedback once the work is marked.

Creative Commons

The AI Assessment Framework and use of tools like Cadmus will make assessments easier to complete with clearer instructions in authentic work platforms. 

CADMUS FAQ'S

The Bond University AI Assessment Framework is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Category 1: AI-Prohibited (AI-P)

AI-free learning. Secure assessment. Promoting independent learning.

AI-prohibited assessments aim to validate core knowledge and skills that must be demonstrated independently and unaided. AI-Prohibited assessment environments are designed to uphold strict academic integrity, explicitly prohibiting all unauthorised assistance, including AI tools:

  • All AI tools and platforms are strictly prohibited.
  • Students must demonstrate knowledge and skills entirely through their own unaided work to meet specific learning outcomes.
  • Strict adherence to traditional academic integrity standards is enforced.
  • Commonly applied to assessments critical for foundational learning or professional accreditation.

Examples: Assessments conducted under controlled or supervised conditions such as invigilated written or oral quizzes, tests, and exams, supervised professional practice, and some monitored in-class presentations or tasks. 

Category 2: AI-Supported (AI-S)

AI for learning. Directed assessment. Promoting digital literacy.

In AI-supported assessments, students use unsupervised AI tools. Assessments are designed to ensure appropriate use of AI and encourage engagement. Assessments are designed to create incentives for authentic learning; rubrics reward depth of understanding, original synthesis, and critical analysis not achieved through AI alone. This “reality-based” approach develops students' judgement about when AI enhances, rather than diminishing or replacing their work. Educators provide guidance on effective AI integration, with poor AI use resulting in lower grades through the assessment criteria.

  • Assessment design responds to the reality of the AI landscape.
  • Rubrics and criteria are structured to reward depth of understanding and original thinking, making the quality of work matter more than the tools used. Task sheets include declarations of use.
  • Educators guide effective AI use while assessment structures distinguish between thoughtful integration and over-reliance on AI-generated content.
  • Students must demonstrate critical thinking, synthesis, and original contribution beyond AI-generated content.
  • Poor or uncritical application of AI tools may naturally be reflected in lower grades through rubric design, not misconduct proceedings.
  • Provides an opportunity for student development of effective, ethical, and critical engagement with AI for learning.

Example: An assignment to design a communication campaign where students can use AI tools to develop stages of the campaign project and ideas for the use of different communication channels. AI may be permitted to check expression and syntax. However, students must obtain and show evidence for original sources and critically analyse those and any AI-generated content, synthesise their own arguments, and provide original insights. The rubric rewards depth of understanding and original thinking

Category 3: AI-Focussed (AI-F)

AI as learning. Guided assessment. Promoting digital fluency.

AI-focused assessments integrate the use of AI tools to develop advanced AI fluency, explicitly aligned with and assessing subject learning outcomes. Students demonstrate capabilities in areas like prompt engineering, critical evaluation of AI outputs, ethical deployment, and understanding AI's broader social and professional impacts, preparing graduates to leverage AI strategically and responsibly as future leaders.

  • AI tools constitute an essential and fundamental aspect of the assessment process.  
  • Evaluates students' ability to collaborate with, manage, and critically analyse AI tools, integrating AI capabilities with their own disciplinary knowledge.
  • Fosters a deep understanding of AI's limitations, biases, and broader societal and professional implications.
  • Prepares students to be innovative, strategic, and responsible users and developers of AI in their fields.
  • Equips students to use both educational and industry-standard AI tools strategically, responsibly, and effectively in real-world contexts.

Example: A project in where students are required to develop an AI agent to solve a real-world problem. Students must demonstrate their ability to collaborate with AI tools, critically evaluate AI outputs, and understand the ethical implications of their AI solutions.

AI-free learning. Secure assessment. Promoting independent learning.

AI-prohibited assessments aim to validate core knowledge and skills that must be demonstrated independently and unaided. AI-Prohibited assessment environments are designed to uphold strict academic integrity, explicitly prohibiting all unauthorised assistance, including AI tools:

  • All AI tools and platforms are strictly prohibited.
  • Students must demonstrate knowledge and skills entirely through their own unaided work to meet specific learning outcomes.
  • Strict adherence to traditional academic integrity standards is enforced.
  • Commonly applied to assessments critical for foundational learning or professional accreditation.

Examples: Assessments conducted under controlled or supervised conditions such as invigilated written or oral quizzes, tests, and exams, supervised professional practice, and some monitored in-class presentations or tasks. 

How to avoid Gen-AI misuse and its consequences

The unauthorised or improper use of Gen-AI is academic misconduct, as set out in the Student Code of Conduct Policy. Research students should also refer to the Research Misconduct Policy. It is essential that all members of the Bond University Community review and regularly update their knowledge on Academic Integrity compliance using the following resources: 

  • Academic Integrity Module

    • Self-paced online
    • 1 hrs
    • $0
    • Microcredential course
    Find out more

  • Academic Integrity

    “Academic Integrity at Bond means adhering, in words and actions and across all aspects of student life, to an academic moral code bound by the seven integrity principles of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, courage, and professionalism.”

    Read more

  • What is academic integrity?

    "Academic Integrity at Bond means adhering, in words and actions and across all aspects of student life, to an academic moral code bound by the seven integrity principles of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, courage, and professionalism."

    Read more

  • Why academic integrity matters

    Academic integrity at Bond University is essential for ensuring students develop the skills, knowledge, and ethical standards needed for academic and professional success, while maintaining fairness and trust within the university community.

    Read more

  • How to act with integrity

    This webpage provides useful information and support to help students uphold academic integrity at Bond.

    Read more

  • Academic misconduct and how to avoid it

    The consequences of Academic Misconduct can be devastating and can have a lifelong impact on your career and reputation.

    Read more
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How to cite and report Gen-AI use

Every use of Gen-AI by students and staff must be declared.  

The styles used at Bond University are developed from specific instructions on how to cite and reference output from Gen-AI tools. 

Librarians monitor notifications from each style manual and update the referencing style guides when new advice is received via their websites. 

The Library has developed these FAQs and will review and update individual referencing style guides for the start of each semester. 

In summary

These powerful tools can transform your learning experience when used thoughtfully and transparently. Approach them with purpose, use them with integrity, and remember: when uncertain, seek guidance rather than making assumptions. Your academic success depends not just on the tools you use, but on how wisely you use them. 

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