AI Support
AI Use and Support at the UWC
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an established part of our daily lives; it’s the technology behind things like GPS, our front-door cameras, and the algorithms that drive social media accounts. But another kind of Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI (GenAI), which uses information from Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate text, has drastically changed the way many of us approach tasks like writing a paper or creating a presentation.The rapid development of GenAI tools such as ChatGPT has created both exciting opportunities and difficult challenges for the academic world. In response, Texas A&M has created various resources to aid students, faculty, and staff in using GenAI effectively and ethically.
- One excellent resource for understanding AI use at Texas A&M is ai.tamu.edu, where you’ll find insights and updates about AI resources on campus whether you’re learning, teaching, working, or researching with AI.
- The Division of Academic Affairs has created a video on student use of AI.
- To learn which AI tools are compatible with TAMU information security policies, check out this page on the IT Services website.
- The University Libraries have collected a helpful list of resources on AI and plagiarism in writing and research.
For Faculty
The following is a list of campus resources on AI and the classroom:- The Center for Teaching Excellence has created training and resources on using GenAI in the classroom and for assessment, including information on what to say about AI in your syllabus and opportunities to learn from your peer instructors.
- The Center for Teaching Excellence also provides resources and/or training workshops on various GenAI programs, like CoPilot, Gemini, and Peerceptiv.
- For concerns about academic integrity related to GenAI, contact The Aggie Honor System Office.
- For general information about how to teach, learn, and work with GenAI, visit ai.tamu.edu. For a summary of some of the ethical considerations surrounding the use of GenAI, visit https://ai.tamu.edu/teach-with-ai/use-guidelines-and-ethics.html
- To discuss the role of AI use in a W or C course, contact Dr. Matt McKinney, Writing in the Disciplines director and chair of the W&C Course Committee, at mmckinney@tamu.edu.
For Students
Before using a GenAI tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini for a writing project, speech, or presentation, make sure you know and understand your instructor or department’s policy on GenAI use. Some instructors may be fine with having you use GenAI or may even require you to use it. Other instructors will allow you to use GenAI only for certain tasks or forbid you from using it at all.Using GenAI tools in a manner that goes against your instructor’s policy can be considered a violation of the Aggie Honor code, so you want to be sure you understand that policy, which should be stated in your syllabus. If you’re not sure of your instructor’s policy, ask!
GenAI is still considered a new technology, meaning many platforms are updating or changing their GenAI integration frequently. Some programs that may have previously been considered “free” of GenAI may now be considered AI tools, including Grammarly. If you know a program you are using may have GenAI options, talk with your instructor about whether you can us it and, if so, how you can use it.
Bringing AI-generated work to the UWC
You may wonder if you're allowed to bring work generated using AI-tools to the UWC. Here's our policy:If you want to use GenAI to help with coursework, we'll ask you about the course policy on AI use. After all, we recognize that misusing GenAI tools can have serious academic consequences, and we want to set you up for success.
Likewise, if you're submitting work to a publication or applying to a school or program, we'll ask you about their AI policy. Again, we want to keep you out of trouble!
Once we've confirmed that you're following appropriate guidelines, we'll be happy to work with you to use tools such as Grammarly, Gemini, or Co-Pilot to generate ideas, consider counter arguments, or improve the flow of your sentences. We won't do the work for you and we won't let GenAI do that either.
Remember, however, that UWC consultants are not AI experts, just as we're not subject-matter experts. We'll do the best we can to help you use AI tools ethically and effectively, asking questions to help guide you in the process.
At the end of the session, we'll write notes about what we did, including mentioning any GenAI tools used. Writing notes is something we do after every session, so we have a record of what we did. We're happy to share those notes with you after the session; just ask.
Broader Concerns about GenAI
As GenAI becomes more commonplace, it can be easy to overlook that this new technology, like any major technological advancement, has serious consequences. If you’re concerned about using it, you’re not alone. Using GenAI has significant implications for the global workforce, energy needs, and security, to name just a few considerations.Privacy Concerns
- Most Gen AI programs, like ChatGPT, use information you input as training data, raising serious privacy concerns. Privacy risks should be considered, especially when uploading others’ work (Duffourc et al., 2024). When using personal data, such as information gathered from an interview, consider an AI program’s privacy risks to ensure you are not violating other individuals’ privacy.
Labor Concerns
- There have been reports of labor abuse within the industry, such as companies employing international workers at inequitable wages to train AI (Time Magazine, 2024). Additionally, there are concerns about the impact on work performance and unemployment rates as companies use AI programs for tasks once done by employees (Salari et al., 2025).
Environmental Concerns
- New data centers are being built in areas already struggling for water and other resources. The impact of data centers’ size and water use on local communities has become a serous issue in Texas (Chrysostomou et al., 2024). Even though AI may feel like it is something intangible or it is the size of the device we are using, the data for AI must be stored somewhere. Moreover, disputes about data centers’ use of water have occurred in Texas (Datacenters.com, 2025).
Legal Challenges
- Even as AI companies strive to improve the accuracy of their programs, AI is always at risk of “data poisoning”-- unchecked feedback, omitting data, and poor data training can manipulate AI responses (Battacharjee, 2025). Additionally, AI programs reflect the beliefs, morals, and values of the data the platform is trained on. Very few of the companies building Gen AI platforms are willing to reveal how they train their AI.
- Since AI is being developed so rapidly, legislative bodies struggle to keep up with the new features and ways information is being used. Some AI has already been flagged for copyright issues, and problems of illegal information use may continue (Bondari, 2025). For those working on writing that may be published, be responsible for your work by checking where and how AI tools pull data.