The USI Student Guide on the Use of AI in theses has been published.

Università della Svizzera italiana has recently published recommendations for using Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to assist with thesis writing and other written work. Stefano Tardini, the head of eLab, contributed to this document and discussed the topic in detail on TeleTicino.

The document aims to provide behavioural guidance rather than impose restrictions, as USI believes that IA can be a useful tool, as explained by Stefano Tardini: "AI can be used to outline the main points to be developed in a piece of work, or to enhance specific paragraphs that a writer may find unsatisfactory. Additionally, when writing in a language that is not their first language, students can use AI for linguistic revision. In all these instances, it is essential that the teacher approves the use of AI and that the student acknowledges their use of it."

To date, it is not yet possible to reliably recognise AI-generated texts using anti-plagiarism software: "Unfortunately, none of the systems currently available are reliable; we recommend our lecturers, as other Swiss universities do, not to rely on these tools," explained Tardini.

The rise of AI prompts a reflection on the form and role of theses in the education of today's students: "These tools must prompt us to reflect on the question; at USI, even before the introduction of these technologies, various programmes have been proposing alternative activities to the final thesis. I believe this idea still holds value, but it definitely needs to be re-evaluated in light of the new technological developments," concluded Stefano Tardini.

The complete interview with Stefano Tardini on TeleTicino is available at the following link (from minute 1:24, Italian only).