Tegeera Study Track

Everyone is using AI, but few know how to use it without losing their academic soul.

Namirembe writes her blog post about AI ethics Photo by Timothy Kalyegira

• Use AI to correct grammar, simplify a point, or find better words.

• Asking AI to write an entire assignment is unethical. It is like paying someone to sit one’s papers.

• AI can be a "professional conman." It might create fake facts just to fill space or give you citations for books that don't even exist in any library. This is called hallucination.

• If one has a brilliant point in their head but they are struggling to find the right academic English, one can ask AI to "rephrase this sentence to be more formal."

• After finishing your draft, paste it into the AI and say: "What are the weaknesses in my argument?" This helps one fix gaps before they actually submit.

• If you have a 50-page PDF that is too "heavy" to read before a morning lecture, ask AI to "give me the five main points of this document." It helps you get the gist so you can go and read the details yourself.

• If one’s notes are disorganised, they can ask AI to arrange them in a logical way. This helps one structure one's thoughts so they can study more effectively.

• When you are staring at a blank page, and the deadline is knocking, ask AI for an "outline" or "structure" for your essay topic. It gives you the "skeleton," but you must provide the "meat" and the local examples.

• The Golden Rule: If you would be "ashamed" to tell your lecturer that you used AI for a specific part of your work, you are probably crossing the line into cheating!