Generative AI at USI

What does it mean to learn, teach, and produce knowledge in a world where machines can generate essays, solve complex problems, and even suggest research ideas? Generative AI is rapidly reshaping higher education, bringing both new opportunities and significant challenges.

In 2022, the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) established an working group to support the university community in navigating the implications of GenAI. The group brings together representatives from faculties, administration, and the student body, and is coordinated by the eLearning Lab. Its role is to foster discussion, identify opportunities and risks, and inform strategic decision-making.

USI promotes a creative, critical, and responsible use of GenAI, encouraging experimentation and open discussion across teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. Building on this, practical recommendations have been developed for both teaching staff and students.

These recommendations highlight the importance of clearly defining, at course level, how and to what extent AI tools can be used. Transparency is a fundamental aspect: any use of GenAI, especially in assessed work, must be explicitly declared. Particular attention is required in the context of thesis writing, where supervisors are expected to address the use of AI tools with their students from the outset, agree on what is appropriate, and ensure that these expectations are then followed. Furthermore, responsibility for contents remains always with the user. Users are expected to critically review AI supported outputs, ensure their accuracy, and comply with ethical standards, data protection, and copyright regulations. Overall, the recommendations aim to foster informed and reflective practices, integrating GenAI in ways that support learning while preserving academic integrity.

To further support the use of GenAI tools in education, USI developed the GenAIEdu platform (Generative AI in Education). The platform offers resources on integrating GenAI into course design, classroom activities, assessment, and thesis supervision, alongside foundational knowledge on technical aspects, ethical and legal implications and prompting strategies. It also connects users to curated, high-quality materials and provides a space for sharing experiences and resources (in form of a Padlet), fostering a growing community of practice.