<p><strong>At Tampere University of Applied Sciences, students are generally permitted to use AI applications to support their learning and the completion of assignments.</strong>&nbsp;Teachers must define and inform students of the principles for AI use, either for entire courses or specific assignments. These principles may vary depending on the learning outcomes, teaching methods and assessment practices of each course.&nbsp;</p><p>These guidelines are designed to support teachers with the use of AI. They outline the key considerations related to the use of AI, with a particular focus on the use of generative AI as part of teaching and learning.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><div class="d-highlight"><h3>Brief introduction to AI guidelines&nbsp;</h3><ul><li>As a general rule, students at TAMK are permitted to use AI applications to support their learning. Teachers are responsible for promoting the responsible and transparent use of AI among students.</li><li>At the beginning of each course, teachers must explain how AI may be used in assignments and how its use should be acknowledged. Any restrictions on the use of AI must be clearly communicated to students when providing instructions for completing the course.</li><li>Teachers may only use secure, TAMK-approved AI tools to support student assessment. Student submissions may not be uploaded to any external AI applications. The teacher must always personally conduct the final overall assessment.</li><li>The advancement of AI tools necessitates the ongoing development of student assessment practices, which should be considered when planning assessment methods.</li><li>Open dialogue between teaching staff and students about the possibilities and practical examples of AI use supports the development of individual AI competence. For the sake of transparency, teachers should let students know if AI tools are used in the teaching process.</li><li>It is also important to consider the sustainability of AI use. For example, generating images with AI consumes a considerable amount of energy.&nbsp;</li></ul></div><p><strong>Teachers must inform students of the principles governing the use of AI in specific courses, implementation rounds or individual assignments.&nbsp;</strong>The use of AI tools may also be prohibited for justified reasons.&nbsp;</p><p>Teachers must have a sufficient understanding of the opportunities, limitations and restrictions associated with AI in order to guide students in the responsible use of AI applications. When using AI, compliance must be maintained with legal regulations concerning copyright, personal data processing and confidential information, as well as with the TAMK's internal guidelines and the principles of research integrity.</p><p>Arene (the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences) has developed a traffic light model to clarify permitted and prohibited uses of AI in assignments: <a href="https://arene.fi/wp-content/uploads/PDF/2024/Teko%C3%A4lysuositukset/ARENE%20AI%20english.pdf?_t=1731419903">Traffic light model</a>. Teachers must provide students with clear instructions on how to acknowledge the use of AI in assignments, including the required level of detail. The use of AI can be disclosed either by filling out the TAMK’s AI acknowledgement form or by following other guidelines that apply to specific degree programmes at Tampere University of Applied Sciences.&nbsp;</p><p>As a general rule, AI must be used transparently and any AI-generated content must be marked in accordance with the principles of research integrity. If students use AI when completing coursework, they must identify the AI application they used and describe how it influenced the final outcome. Since AI-generated text may contain inaccuracies and fabricated references, emphasising the critical evaluation of sources is important. Students always remain fully responsible for their submissions and the accuracy of the content. They must clearly indicate the extent of their independent contribution versus that generated by AI.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p>

Intranet page: AI competence

Student’s Guide: AI as a support for learning 

Digital tools for staff

Arene’s traffic light model (arene.fi)

Examples of permitted and prohibited uses of AI

<h2>Using AI in teaching and student assessment&nbsp;</h2><p>AI tools can support the planning of teaching activities and the development of teaching ideas. However, the use of these tools should be pedagogically justified and aligned with the intended learning outcomes. The diverse use of AI tools can also help to enhance the AI competence of teaching staff. To ensure transparency, teachers should inform students how and for what purposes AI has been used to support teaching.</p><p>The advancement of AI tools also calls for the development of student assessment practices. Compared to individual assignments, demonstrations of learning that incorporate multiple forms of expression or include several feedback cycles can provide teachers with a more comprehensive understanding of students’ knowledge and skills and how they develop during a course.<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Assignments may also include AI-generated elements, requiring students to critically evaluate or improve AI-produced content.&nbsp;Please note that our students cannot be expected to use external AI services that require them to register.</p><p>It is important to openly address any concerns related to AI-generated text with students. Instead of assigning take-home exams or similar tasks, teachers can organise centrally supervised exams or other digital demonstrations of learning via the TUNI EXAM system. Oral examinations are also an alternative that teachers should consider.&nbsp;</p><p>TAMK’s data classification guidelines must be followed when using AI tools. Some student submissions may be confidential under the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities or TAMK's data classification model; AI tools must not be used to support the assessment of such submissions.&nbsp;Uploading student submissions to an external AI application that has not been formally approved by the TAMK is not allowed.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>The misuse of AI constitutes academic misconduct</strong> and will be investigated in accordance with the TAMK’s guidelines. Examples of misuse include&nbsp;generating final outputs using AI, using AI-provided references without verifying the original sources, using AI in assignments where its use is prohibited, and failing to acknowledge the use of AI.</p><p>If necessary, students may be asked to submit their assignments via the Turnitin system. Teachers must not upload student submissions to the system on behalf of students. However, AI detection within Turnitin is currently available only for English and Spanish, and even a high AI detection score does not automatically mean the text was generated using AI. If there are any concerns about the origin of a submission, teachers must speak with the student to determine how the work was produced.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p>

Intranet page: the Turnitin system

Tampere University Library’s website: Information searching and AI

Digital Toolkit: tips for utilising AI in planning and delivering teaching as well as in student assessment

AI guidelines from the Finnish National Agency for Education (in Finnish): Tekoäly varhaiskasvatuksessa ja koulutuksessa

<h2>Legal requirements, guidelines and risks in the use of AI </h2><p><strong>AI tools must be used in strict compliance with legal regulations governing copyright, personal data processing and confidentiality as well as TAMK’s internal policies and guidelines. </strong>AI use involves certain risks, such as bias and inaccurate results. The European Union’s AI Act imposes restrictions on the use of AI. The scope of these restrictions depends on both the organisation’s role and the risk level of the AI system. The use of AI systems prohibited under the AI Act is not allowed at TAMK.</p><p>Please note that using AI tools in comprehensive and secondary education settings to assess student learning or monitor them during exams is likely to involve high-risk AI systems. In such cases, the Tampere University’s Legal Team must be consulted in advance (<span class="spamspan"><span class="u">lakiasiat</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span><span class="t"> (lakiasiat[at]tuni[dot]fi)</span></span>).</p><p>There are certain exceptions in the AI Act that apply to the use of AI for the purpose of scientific research. While the AI Act does not apply to personal use of AI, this exclusion does not extend to teachers when AI tools are used for teaching-related purposes. </p><p>TAMK’s data protection guidelines must be followed when processing personal data. The concept of personal data is broad and includes, for example, students’ images and voices. Specific risks associated with AI systems include the transfer of personal data to third countries or the retention of input data by the system. For this reason, it is important to primarily use AI systems that have been formally approved by Tampere Universities (such as Copilot Chat), as these systems meet the data protection requirements and offer a secure environment for processing personal data.</p><p>Copyright regulations must be observed when using AI. Using the work of others in violation of copyright is prohibited. Generally, AI-generated content is not protected by copyright, as it does not meet the threshold of originality. Teachers must ensure that students are aware of copyright regulations, understand the restrictions and know how to act responsibly. </p><p>It is important to carefully assess what kind of content can be uploaded to AI tools. The AI systems used by our staff must also comply with data protection regulations concerning input data. Do not upload unpublished or sensitive data to an AI system unless you are certain it will not be used, for example, to train language models. AI-generated content (such as text and images) may be a direct reproduction or a derivative of the data used to train the system. Teachers must respect authorship, cite sources appropriately and adhere to intellectual property regulations.</p><p>Confidential materials or those containing intellectual property belonging to Tampere Universities must be processed using formally approved AI tools (such as Microsoft Copilot). AI tools that transfer ownership of input data to the provider or use input data to train language models should not be used for processing materials. For more information on the guidelines relating to intellectual property rights, please refer to the AI policy of Tampere Universities.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p>

Information security and data protection in teaching and the processing of personal data in educational contexts

Artificial intelligence and research

Data classification and data classes

AI governance model at Tampere Universities

The European Union’s AI Act (europa.eu)

<h2>Sustainable use of AI</h2><p>The use of AI applications consumes significantly more energy than, for example, a standard Google search, as these applications rely on systems that require considerable computing power. While AI can be an effective tool to support learning and teaching, its use has a substantial impact on the environment. From a carbon footprint perspective, the responsible approach is to use AI tools sparingly, especially for repetitive and routine tasks where lighter digital alternatives may be sufficient.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p>

AI’s energy problem (Nature, March 2025)

Tekoäly kestävyyden edistäjänä ja estäjänä (in Finnish only), Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (ttl.fi)

<h2>Contact information for support services</h2><p>Do you need more information or assistance regarding the use of AI in teaching? Please email your enquiries to: <span class="spamspan" data-spamspan-target="_blank"><span class="u">opetus-helpdesk.tau</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span><span class="t"> (opetus-helpdesk[dot]tau[at]tuni[dot]fi)</span></span>. </p><p> </p><p><em>These guidelines will be updated and refined as necessary.</em></p>

AI in studies theme in Student's guide

<p><strong>At Tampere University, students are generally permitted to use AI applications to support their learning and the completion of assignments.</strong>&nbsp;Teachers must define and inform students of the principles for AI use, either for entire courses or specific assignments. These principles may vary depending on the learning outcomes, teaching methods and assessment practices of each course.&nbsp;</p><p>These guidelines are designed to support teachers with the use of AI. They outline the key considerations related to the use of AI, with a particular focus on the use of generative AI as part of teaching and learning.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><div class="d-highlight"><h3>Brief introduction to AI guidelines&nbsp;</h3><ul><li>As a general rule, students at Tampere University are permitted to use AI applications to support their learning. Teachers are responsible for promoting the responsible and transparent use of AI among students.</li><li>At the beginning of each course, teachers must explain how AI may be used in assignments and how its use should be acknowledged. Any restrictions on the use of AI must be clearly communicated to students when providing instructions for completing the course.</li><li>Teachers may only use secure, University-approved AI tools to support student assessment. Student submissions may not be uploaded to any external AI applications. The teacher must always personally conduct the final overall assessment.</li><li>The advancement of AI tools necessitates the ongoing development of student assessment practices, which should be considered when planning assessment methods.</li><li>Open dialogue between teaching staff and students about the possibilities and practical examples of AI use supports the development of individual AI competence. For the sake of transparency, teachers should let students know if AI tools are used in the teaching process.</li><li>It is also important to consider the sustainability of AI use. For example, generating images with AI consumes a considerable amount of energy.&nbsp;</li></ul></div><p><strong>Teachers must inform students of the principles governing the use of AI in specific courses, implementation rounds or individual assignments.&nbsp;</strong>The use of AI tools may also be prohibited for justified reasons.&nbsp;</p><p>Teachers must have a sufficient understanding of the opportunities, limitations and restrictions associated with AI in order to guide students in the responsible use of AI applications. When using AI, compliance must be maintained with legal regulations concerning copyright, personal data processing and confidential information, as well as with the University’s internal guidelines and the principles of research integrity.</p><p>Arene (the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences) has developed a traffic light model to clarify permitted and prohibited uses of AI in assignments: <a href="https://arene.fi/wp-content/uploads/PDF/2024/Teko%C3%A4lysuositukset/ARENE%20AI%20english.pdf?_t=1731419903">Traffic light model</a>. Teachers must provide students with clear instructions on how to acknowledge the use of AI in assignments, including the required level of detail. The use of AI can be disclosed either by filling out the University’s AI acknowledgement form or by following other guidelines that apply to specific degree programmes or faculties at Tampere University.&nbsp;</p><p>University’s AI acknowledgement forms:</p><figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2025-06/tekoalyn-raportointipohja.docx"><span>Tekoälyn raportointi opintosuorituksessa, tiedostotyyppi: doc (DOCX, 55.48 KB) </span></a></div></figure><figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2025-08/tekoalyn-raportointipohja-eng.docx"><span>Acknowledging the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in student assignments, file type: doc (DOCX, 87.96 KB) </span></a></div></figure><figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2025-08/tekoalyn-kaytto-opinnaytteessa-202409.docx"><span>Tekoälyn raportointi opinnäytteessä, tiedostotyyppi: doc (DOCX, 20.92 KB) </span></a></div></figure><figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2025-08/use-of-ai-in-thesis-202409.docx"><span>Acknowledging the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in student thesis, file type: doc (DOCX, 20.74 KB) </span></a></div></figure><p>As a general rule, AI must be used transparently and any AI-generated content must be marked in accordance with the principles of research integrity. If students use AI when completing coursework, they must identify the AI application they used and describe how it influenced the final outcome. Since AI-generated text may contain inaccuracies and fabricated references, emphasising the critical evaluation of sources is important. Students always remain fully responsible for their submissions and the accuracy of the content. They must clearly indicate the extent of their independent contribution versus that generated by AI.&nbsp;</p>

Arene’s traffic light model

<h2>Using AI in teaching and student assessment&nbsp;</h2><p>AI tools can support the planning of teaching activities and the development of teaching ideas. However, the use of these tools should be pedagogically justified and aligned with the intended learning outcomes. The diverse use of AI tools can also help to enhance the AI competence of teaching staff. To ensure transparency, teachers should inform students how and for what purposes AI has been used to support teaching.</p><p>The advancement of AI tools also calls for the development of student assessment practices. Compared to individual assignments, demonstrations of learning that incorporate multiple forms of expression or include several feedback cycles can provide teachers with a more comprehensive understanding of students’ knowledge and skills and how they develop during a course.<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Assignments may also include AI-generated elements, requiring students to critically evaluate or improve AI-produced content.&nbsp;Please note that our students cannot be expected to use external AI services that require them to register.</p><p>It is important to openly address any concerns related to AI-generated text with students. Instead of assigning take-home exams or similar tasks, teachers can organise centrally supervised exams or other digital demonstrations of learning via the TUNI EXAM system. Oral examinations are also an alternative that teachers should consider.&nbsp;</p><p>The University’s data classification guidelines must be followed when using AI tools. Some student submissions may be confidential under the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities or Tampere University’s data classification model; AI tools must not be used to support the assessment of such submissions.&nbsp;Uploading student submissions to an external AI application that has not been formally approved by the University is not allowed.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>The misuse of AI constitutes academic misconduct</strong> and will be investigated in accordance with the University’s guidelines. Examples of misuse include&nbsp;generating final outputs using AI, using AI-provided references without verifying the original sources, using AI in assignments where its use is prohibited, and failing to acknowledge the use of AI.</p><p>If necessary, students may be asked to submit their assignments via the Turnitin system. Teachers must not upload student submissions to the system on behalf of students. However, AI detection within Turnitin is currently available only for English and Spanish, and even a high AI detection score does not automatically mean the text was generated using AI. If there are any concerns about the origin of a submission, teachers must speak with the student to determine how the work was produced.</p>

Guidelines for academic ethics and procedures for handling allegations of misconduct at Tampere University 

<h2>Legal requirements, guidelines and risks in the use of AI </h2><p><strong>AI tools must be used in strict compliance with legal regulations governing copyright, personal data processing and confidentiality as well as the University’s internal policies and guidelines. </strong>AI use involves certain risks, such as bias and inaccurate results. The European Union’s AI Act imposes restrictions on the use of AI. The scope of these restrictions depends on both the organisation’s role and the risk level of the AI system. The use of AI systems prohibited under the AI Act is not allowed at the University.</p><p>Please note that using AI tools in comprehensive and secondary education settings to assess student learning or monitor them during exams is likely to involve high-risk AI systems. In such cases, the University’s Legal Team must be consulted in advance (<span class="spamspan"><span class="u">lakiasiat</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span><span class="t"> (lakiasiat[at]tuni[dot]fi)</span></span>).</p><p>There are certain exceptions in the AI Act that apply to the use of AI for the purpose of scientific research. While the AI Act does not apply to personal use of AI, this exclusion does not extend to teachers when AI tools are used for teaching-related purposes. </p><p>The University’s data protection guidelines must be followed when processing personal data. The concept of personal data is broad and includes, for example, students’ images and voices. Specific risks associated with AI systems include the transfer of personal data to third countries or the retention of input data by the system. For this reason, it is important to primarily use AI systems that have been formally approved by the University (such as Copilot Chat), as these systems meet the data protection requirements and offer a secure environment for processing personal data.</p><p>Copyright regulations must be observed when using AI. Using the work of others in violation of copyright is prohibited. Generally, AI-generated content is not protected by copyright, as it does not meet the threshold of originality. Teachers must ensure that students are aware of copyright regulations, understand the restrictions and know how to act responsibly. </p><p>It is important to carefully assess what kind of content can be uploaded to AI tools. The AI systems used by our staff must also comply with data protection regulations concerning input data. Do not upload unpublished or sensitive data to an AI system unless you are certain it will not be used, for example, to train language models. AI-generated content (such as text and images) may be a direct reproduction or a derivative of the data used to train the system. Teachers must respect authorship, cite sources appropriately and adhere to intellectual property regulations.</p><p>Confidential materials or those containing intellectual property belonging to Tampere Universities must be processed using formally approved AI tools (such as Microsoft Copilot). AI tools that transfer ownership of input data to the provider or use input data to train language models should not be used for processing materials. For more information on the guidelines relating to intellectual property rights, please refer to the AI policy of Tampere Universities.</p>

Research integrity

The European Union’s AI Act

<h2>Sustainable use of AI</h2><p>The use of AI applications consumes significantly more energy than, for example, a standard Google search, as these applications rely on systems that require considerable computing power. While AI can be an effective tool to support learning and teaching, its use has a substantial impact on the environment. From a carbon footprint perspective, the responsible approach is to use AI tools sparingly, especially for repetitive and routine tasks where lighter digital alternatives may be sufficient.&nbsp;</p>

Guidelines for using AI in teaching

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Guidelines for using AI in teaching

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