Using Generative AI in Ethical and Professional Ways as a Researcher

This two-part in-person training course combines critical reflection with hands-on practice to help researchers navigate generative AI thoughtfully and responsibly. The first session explores what AI means for higher education and research at this moment of rapid change, examining both opportunities and risks. The second session is a practical workshop where participants bring their own work and AI tools to explore ethical and professional use, developing personal principles for responsible AI integration into research practice. Participants must bring their own device with access to a generative AI chatbot they already have an account with and have previously used (such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Copilot).

The course covers: 

• The current landscape of generative AI in higher education and academic research

• How AI is reshaping academic work, including writing, analysis, and collaboration
• Opportunities and risks of AI adoption in research contexts
• Ethical considerations around integrity, authorship, and responsibility
• Practical exploration using participants' own research materials and AI tools
• Scenario-based discussions on responsible AI use
• Peer exchange on emerging practices and challenges
• Developing personal guiding principles for AI use in research

By the end of the course participants will:

• Articulate a clearer understanding of what generative AI means for researchers and scholarship
• Critically evaluate the opportunities and risks of AI in their own research context
• Reflect on how language models are entering their research processes
• Identify key ethical considerations around integrity, authorship, and responsibility when using AI
• Experiment critically with AI tools using their own research materials
• Begin developing their own guiding principles for responsible AI use
• Share and learn from peers' emerging practices and approaches

Schedule

Wednesday 13th May 2026, 10:00 - 16:00

Location

Room 1.69, Humanities Bridgeford Street Building, The University of Manchester, M15 6AD

Pre-requisites

• Some prior experience using a generative AI chatbot
• An active account with a generative AI tool of your choice 
• A paper they have published (open access or pre-print version)
• A work-in-progress paper or chapter
• Access to their preferred AI chatbot