As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly integrated into academic life, the University of Texas at Austin is leading the way with new guidelines to help students, faculty and staff use AI responsibly in educational settings.
Responsible adoption of AI tools for teaching and learning frameworks was announced across campuses, co-hosted by Academic Technology and the office of Good Systems on May 6th, providing actionable guidance on how to use AI ethically and effectively to support teaching and learning. The proposed guidelines will be published for public comment until July 31st and will be finalized in time for the fall semester.
“As AI tools become more common in academic settings, practical guidance based on educational values such as academic integrity, privacy and critical thinking will urgently be needed,” said Kasey Ford, Senior Technology Technology Technology Technology Technology Technology Technology Technology's Technology Specialist and AI Designer. “We want our community to use these tools confidently and responsibly.”
While many universities provide AI guidance, the focus on UT teaching and learning has become unique among major research institutes, says Julie Shell, Associate Vice-Chancellor and Director of the Academic Technology Bureau. The framework is based on the university's broad efforts to build a broad technology infrastructure that will promote responsible innovation and promote the ethical use of AI across academic disciplines while providing access to advanced AI tools on campuses.
“Our goal is to build effective human partnerships that benefit society,” says Ken Fleischmann, professor at the Faculty of Information Science and chairman of Excellence Systems. “Our research includes human-centric approaches to improving education and training, including smart hand tools for skilled trade workers, and is also expanding ethics AI education across campus.”
“We need to bridge the gap between engineers who need to learn how to consider work understanding and policy makers who need to speed up their understanding of AI,” said Sheri Greenberg, a professor of practice at LBJ School of Public Relations and a past chair for good systems. “The collaboration with the Academic Technology Office reflects a common commitment to ensuring that AI tools are not only educationally effective, but ethical, transparent and align with human values.”
The proposed guidelines reflect a collaborative community-driven process. For over six months, working groups of faculty and staff across campus consulted with experts in pedagogy, AI research, data privacy and ethics to define what “responsible AI” means in the educational context. The outcome framework includes eight guided principles to help you make informed, value-based decisions about how and when AI tools are used.
The framework is intended to support everyone involved in the teaching and learning process, from instructors and students to instructional designers and academic staff.
“I didn't want a top-down AI policy,” Shell said. “We wanted to create something that matches the values of the campus – what was created for the community.”
The launch event on May 6 featured a panel discussion with UT faculty, students and industry leaders. This examined the common responsibility of using AI to support learning, workforce preparation and university administration.
“As AI shaping the way we live and work, institutions like UT Austin, which are building an interdisciplinary framework for AI, are not only crucial for students to be fluent in technology, but also for the value and responsibility that comes with it.” “By integrating AI into a broader education mission, universities are preparing students to lead both in innovation and trust.”
UT community members, including students, are encouraged to review the guidelines proposed by July 31st and share their feedback.
“Responsible adoption of AI in education should always be useful for learning,” Ford said. “By grounding these tools on core principles such as feedback, critical thinking and academic integrity, we help our communities make smarter decisions not only about technology, but about the future of education itself.”
