AI as support in your studies

On this page you can find tips and tricks on how to use AI as support in your studies.

UiO’s basic rules for using AI in your studies

The rules for using AI will vary between courses and assignments. Always ask your lecturer if you are uncertain about what is permitted.
Use AI as a support, not as a replacement for your own work.
Clearly indicate when and how you have utilised AI.
AI can be a supplement for understanding topics, curriculum, and terminology, but always verify the information against reliable sources.
Avoid sharing sensitive information and copyrighted material in AI tools without approval.

Support or replacement?

As a student, you will get the most academic benefit from using AI as support; not as a replacement for your own work. Rather, use AI to challenge your own thinking and receive feedback instead of handing academic judgments or independent work over to the AI tool.

This is largely related to how you instruct the AI tool, in other words how you prompt. Instruct the AI to be a constructive conversational partner, for example by using instructions such as “ask me questions”, “explain why”, “point out strengths and weaknesses” and “what should I investigate further”.

The student team's AI experiences

Jonas' AI tips for the semester paper

Use the "audio summary" function in Gemini Notebook (specifically Deep Dive) and enter a prompt that asks the two AI hosts to argue against your text. Upload a draft and write, for example, "Be critical opponents. Attack the weakest assumptions in the argument and ask questions a strict examiner would ask." If you use the English version you can click "Join" and answer them orally along the way!

What should you consider?

When you use audio summaries, it is harder to follow the sources along the way, since it does not reference sources in the same way as the chat functions.

Celine's AI tips for master's students

Use Gemini Notebook or Google Gemini to practice for your master's defense. Upload your thesis and let the AI play the role of the examiner. Ask it to pose one question at a time, follow up weak answers and challenge you on method, theory, findings and limitations.

What should you consider?

If you practice many times with the same type of instruction, the questions can become quite similar. Therefore ask for unexpected questions, counterarguments or different examiner roles.

Recommendations and examples of use

AI can be a good sparring partner in your student work. Here you can find concrete suggestions for how you can use the various UiO-approved AI tools to support your own thinking, understanding and learning.

Idea development

What can AI help with?

Explore a topic, see different perspectives and help you narrow down, for example, a research question. Ask AI for questions and perspectives that make you think further, rather than finished ideas you can copy.

Recommended tool

Gemini, GPT UiO

Example prompts

How should we proceed to generate ideas for a learning activity? Create a step-by-step plan to bring out our best ideas.
I am going to write about learning theories. Ask me five questions that can help me narrow the topic. Do not provide idea suggestions for me.
Which procedures and tools are good for idea development for a group project? Give us a list of 3-5 suggestions for concrete tools and working methods.

Structuring work

What can AI help with?

Create an overview, break the work into smaller steps and give feedback on your outline. Preferably make an initial proposal yourself. Then you can use AI to evaluate your own choices instead of handing the choices over to AI.

Recommended tool

Gemini, GPT UiO

Example prompts

Here is my research question and outline [paste here]. Assess whether the order of the parts is logical. Explain where the structure may become unclear.

Summarizing sources

What can AI help with?

Get an overview of main points, explain concepts and compare sources you have chosen yourself. Remember that an AI summary does not replace reading the original source. Always check claims against the source before using them.

Recommended tool

Gemini Notebook (Notebook LM). Notebook usually provides source references after its claims. Be aware, however, that Notebook can fabricate or rephrase text in a way that deviates from the original source's intended claim.

Example prompts

Explain the concept of self-regulated learning as it is used in this source. Do not use information that is not present in the uploaded material.
Compare source A and source B. What do they agree on, where do they differ, and which different perspectives are described?
Give me five control questions that can help me check whether I have understood the article

Tips

If you have your own audio recordings from interviews or other audio and video material, Autotext can be used for transcription before further work with the content. Remember to anonymize personal data before uploading to Notebook

Improving text

What can AI help with?

Detect unclear phrasing, repetitions, language errors and weak coherence in self-written text. You learn more if AI explains what can be improved and why, rather than rewriting your entire text for you.

Recommended tool

Gemini, GPT UiO

Example prompts

[Paste your own paragraph]. Read my paragraph as a language tutor. Point out places where the text is unclear and explain why. Do not rewrite the text for me.

Feedback on your own work

What can AI help with?

Read through text and give feedback on argumentation, structure, clarity and whether your assignment meets the requirements. Remember that the feedback is only suggestions, not definitive answers. Evaluate them against the syllabus, assessment criteria and instructions from the course coordinator or supervisor.

Recommended tool

GPT UiO, Gemini, Gemini Notebook

Example prompts

Here is the assignment text and my draft [paste here]. Give me a short guiding feedback on how well the text answers the assignment. Point out three things that work well and three things I should work on further. Do not write new text for me.

What should you be aware of?

Copyright

Remember that copyright still applies when you use AI. Be especially mindful of which material you upload to an AI tool, and whether you have the right to share it. Most research articles and books on your reading list are protected by copyright and may only be uploaded to AI services that are UiO-approved. In addition, it is only permitted to upload copyrighted material for private use. This means that you cannot share projects with others. AI-generated content may also resemble or reproduce other copyrighted material. Therefore check sources and rights before you use the content further.

Hallucinations

All generative AI is based on probability, and large language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot can therefore generate incorrect and inaccurate content. This is often called hallucinations, and if you are not careful it can lead to incorrect information in your work. Always reflect critically on AI-generated content, and verify with other trustworthy sources if you are unsure.

Many language models have now begun to attach source references to their claims. This can make it easier to assess whether the sources are credible and whether the content is accurate. Remember, however, to double-check the sources against the content because it is easy to assume the content is genuine as long as a source is provided.

Bias

Generative AI that language models rely on does not always provide objective information, and often reflects the biases present in their datasets. Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini can reflect and amplify biases in the data they were developed from. Therefore, responses may favor certain perspectives, groups or established viewpoints. Be critical of all AI-generated content. You can do this, among other things, by asking which perspectives are missing and by verifying information against multiple reliable sources.

Plagiarism and cheating

It is your responsibility as a student to follow the applicable guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence. A good rule of thumb: Clearly show when and how you have used AI, and use AI as support, not as a replacement for your own work or learning.