Using AI

Using AI to support learning at SAMK

SAMK encourages students to use AI responsibly and in ways that strengthen their own skills. These guidelines and tips help you get started the right way.

Using AI in the right way is an important professional skill. It can help you learn more effectively, write more fluently, and find information faster.

AI generates its answers based on a large amount of material (books, articles, web texts, etc.).

So, AI is not the original source of information; it only combines existing knowledge – sometimes incorrectly, leading to wrong answers.

AI is easy to use. You can ask it almost anything, as long as you keep the following principles in mind.
- Support your own learning: Use AI in a way that develops your skills. Be curious and experiment boldly. Do not take shortcuts.
- Be critical and accurate: Do not blindly trust what AI produces. It can make mistakes, for example, by giving outdated or invented information. Always check the facts.
- Responsibility and ethics: Use AI as a tool, not as a source. Follow data protection rules, copyright law, and the ethical guidelines of your own field. You are responsible for the content of your work.
- Data security: Do not enter confidential or personal information (such as name, contact details, date of birth, social security number, student ID, passwords, etc.) into AI tools. Use only applications whose privacy policies you know and trust.
- Transparency: Always report your use of AI in your assignments clearly (which applications you used and how) and honestly, following the instructions of the assignment. AI use in assignments is guided by the AI Traffic Light Model.
Example of reporting AI use in an essay on “Building a brand in social media from an ethical perspective” (yellow traffic light): “I used ChatGPT to plan my information search. I discussed suitable search terms and how to combine them, and I asked for improvements to my own queries. I used Copilot when reading sources. With its help, I got summaries in my own language and also checked whether the ethical perspective appeared in the texts. I used ChatGPT to review the language of my essay.
Conversational AI applications are useful for planning, summarizing, translating, proofreading, creating images, searching for information, and more. You can often try them without an account, but wider use usually requires registering. Do not use your SAMK email to register for external services.
- ChatGPT (Open AI): The best-known AI tool. [Terms of use, Privacy policy]
- Microsoft Copilot: Found also in the top-right corner of the Edge browser and on the start page of M365 applications. Works with your SAMK account, no extra registration needed. [Terms of use, Privacy policy]
- AI-powered search engines in SAMK-Finna: Tools that use AI to find scientific information. You can search with a question or a paragraph that describes your information need.
Open ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot and try conversations like these. You can also try both and compare answers between tools:
- “Who is [your name]? When were they born and what are their hobbies?” Did the AI answer correctly, or did it make things up? If you have a common name, you can add more details, such as your hometown.
- “What is an example of AI use where you learn nothing? Give examples.” Does the answer make sense? That kind of AI use should be avoided.
- “Give ideas for an essay topic for the course “Professional communication” for a student in [your field]. What should the essay include?” Were the suggestions useful?
- “What does it mean that AI must be used responsibly? Explain as simply as possible.” Was the answer clear? If not, ask for an even simpler explanation with examples.
- “What is a SWOT analysis? Explain in simple terms and give an example. Also, provide sources for your answer.” Were the sources reliable? Did the simplification work?
- “What scientific articles have been written about effective interaction in nursing? Provide links.” Did AI also give other types of sources, even though you asked for scientific articles?
- Write a short text of your own and ask AI to check it. Request comments and suggestions for clarity, language, etc. Also, ask AI to translate the text into English. Examine the AI’s responses. Do you think they are good? Can you still see your own style in the AI’s answers, or do they feel foreign? How would you modify them? Or would you modify them at all?
- Open any web page (even a PDF) in the Edge browser. Use Copilot in the top-right corner to get a summary. Ask also about specific details, e.g., “What does this page say about responsible AI use?”
Remember: you can always continue the conversation, ask for clarifications, simplifications, summaries, or extra explanations.
- Instructions, tips, and applications for using AI in assignments: Instructions for written assignments and theses | Before you start | Using AI in SAMK theses and assignments
- Guidelines for responsible use of AI: Ethical use of AI at SAMK (PDF)
- ARENE’s recommendations on the use of artificial intelligence for universities of applied sciences (PDF)
- The use of AI in learning tasks – ARENE’s Traffic Light Model (PDF)