Laptop met AI - Microsoft Copilot Chat
Laptop met AI - Microsoft Copilot Chat

Responsible engagement with generative AI: nine rules

Generative AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot offer increasing opportunities to support and enrich our work. Radboud University sees this as an opportunity, but at the same time there are risks involved, such as privacy, information security and copyright. That is why it is important to engage carefully and responsibly with generative AI (GenAI).

Why these rules? 

GenAI can be useful, but the technology also has limitations. It generates predictions, not guaranteed facts, and answers can be incorrect or biased. Confidential information can be inadvertently made public and copyrights can be infringed. That is why it is important to use GenAI consciously, critically and responsibly.  

A campus-wide policy and specific guidelines for education and research are currently being developed. To provide staff and students with guidance in the meantime, nine rules have been drawn up for the responsible use of GenAI. 

The nine rules in brief 

You can find a full explanation of each rule on the website. These are the most important principles: 

  1. Ensure that you are and remain GenAI literate. Understand the opportunities and risks and keep your knowledge up to date. 
  2. Only use GenAI when it is really necessary. Not every question belongs in a GenAI tool. 
  3. Only use authorised applications. Currently, this is Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat for texts. 
  4. Do not enter any personal data. This is not permitted by law within GenAI tools. 
  5. Do not enter confidential or business-critical information. This data may end up elsewhere. 
  6. Always double-check GenAI results. Never consider GenAI output as the final product. 
  7. Do not let GenAI make decisions. Human judgement remains paramount. 
  8. Be transparent about your use of GenAI. Indicate when GenAI has been used. 
  9. Preferably, do not use GenAI for image and audio material. The copyright on this content is complex and risky. 

Want to know more? 

See the detailed explanation of all nine rules, including examples and practical tips. 

This way, we ensure that GenAI supports our work while protecting privacy, security and academic integrity. 

Contact information

Do you have questions about using GenAI in your work or studies? Then contact the ICT Helpdesk at icthelpdesk [at] ru.nl (icthelpdesk[at]ru[dot]nl) or +31 24 362 22 22 (open on working days from 8.00-17.30).


 

Organizational unit
Information & Library Services