Guidance, principles and examples on how to get the best out of AI in your work.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become widely available in recent years, and they are increasingly being used in the global Marketing and Communications sector.
Professionals at the University have developed guidance and support for Marketing and Communications staff on the use of AI tools in their work.
Below are the overarching principles that guide how we use the technology.
More in-depth guidance on using AI for text, imagery, design and audiovisual applications is available on Sharepoint.
MarComms professionals will remain at the heart of creating content for the University. Generative AI is there to make their roles more efficient and help unlock new ideas. There will always be human oversight on what is produced. The skills and expertise needed to make these decisions will be maintained and developed among colleagues. If a Gen AI tool diminishes the excellence of outputs, we don’t use it.
The University’s reputation rests on being a trusted source of information and knowledge. This has to be reflected at every level. If AI has been used in a significant way to create content, this must be acknowledged. Examples of significant use include: creating an image or video, writing more than a paragraph of text, generating a voice over. Smaller uses to tweak human-generated content do not need to be credited. Examples include: cleaning up audio, brainstorming headlines, editing photos (as you would with Photoshop). Do not use AI to conceal or alter original intent or meaning.
Sample boilerplate for crediting AI use:
“This content was created in part with the help of the generative AI tool [insert software here], and carefully reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness.”
Most generative AI tools require the sharing of data with a third party. Treat the information you give to the AI tool as if you were posting it on a public site. Ensure no sensitive, internal, copyrighted, confidential or embargoed data is used to create new content. Use ELM as your default platform to mitigate these risks, and consult the University’s AI Adoption Hub.
We will question whether using AI is essential to complete a task. We will be aware of its environmental impact. The carbon footprint of generative AI is significantly higher than that of other digital tools, so our commitment to communicating in a sustainable fashion must be balanced against other needs.
Using AI is a new aspect of our work and one that is constantly changing. MarComms staff will reach out to each other to seek advice, share best practice, and highlight challenges. They will use the MarComms AI Working Group as a useful resource to draw upon.
We are part of the University of Edinburgh, so all MarComms guidance on AI needs to be underpinned by – and not contradict - the overarching advice for the whole institution. We will look to that in conjunction with the specific guidance for our professional area.
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