AI and University Research Projects
This question from academic research clients is turning into the most common query we receive. Can we confirm that our work is 100% human and we do not use AI to produce transcriptions or translations? The answer is yes, we are 100% human and TP Transcription Limited (our company) has a strict policy on prohibiting the use of AI – both for data security and accuracy (AI has a habit of making up parts of the transcription!) – and because university ethics committees have prohibited use where personal data is involved. Our AI usage policy is available here to view.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly used in UK university research projects, but their use is governed by institutional policies, research ethics committees, and formal ethics agreements. In most cases, AI is not banned outright; instead, universities require that researchers use it transparently and in compliance with ethical, data protection, and academic integrity standards.
University of Oxford
Several UK universities explicitly allow AI in research under controlled conditions. For example, University of Oxford states that generative AI can be used in research but requires researchers to consider whether personal data is involved and to follow the university’s “data protection by design” framework. If AI processing involves personal data or human participants, researchers must obtain ethics approval and may be required to complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA). (University of Oxford).
University of Leeds
Similarly, guidance from University of Leeds emphasises that research involving AI must follow the institution’s established Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC) procedures when ethical issues arise. According to the university’s guidance, the use or development of AI tools alone does not automatically require ethical review, but any associated research involving participants, sensitive data, or ethical implications must be approved through formal ethics processes (generative-ai.leeds.ac.uk) This demonstrates how universities assess AI as part of a wider research design rather than treating it as a separate regulatory category.
University of Glasgow
Another example comes from University of Glasgow, which states that when AI tools form part of the research design or methodology, their use must fall within existing ethical approval and data protection procedures. Researchers must ensure their projects meet institutional ethical standards and comply with relevant governance frameworks before deploying AI technologies in their work (University of Glasgow).
Disclosure of the use of AI
Across the UK higher education sector, universities increasingly emphasise transparency when AI is used in research outputs. The University of Oxford have proposed standardised acknowledgements for large language model (LLM) usage in academic writing, encouraging researchers to disclose when AI has assisted with drafting or analysis (University of Oxford). This reflects a growing expectation that AI contributions should be documented in the same way as other research tools.
Ethics Agreements
Ethics agreements also affect practical tasks often associated with AI, such as transcription and translation in qualitative research. Many researchers now use automated speech-to-text tools to transcribe audio and video recordings, or to translate , but the main restriction appears to be that these recordings must not include any personal data. Ethics committees typically require confirmation that any third-party service protects participant confidentiality and complies with data protection law. No AI company is currently able to provide this confirmation.
When interviews contain sensitive information, university ethics agreements will almost always require researchers to use academic transcription providers such as TP Transcription and University Transcriptions, because we offer GDPR compliant, data secure procedures subject to external audit, and we work within university research ethics standards.
We have included a list of AI clauses in ethics guidance from a number of UK universities below, in case of use.
Below are 20 additional real links to UK university AI-related ethics or governance guidance that researchers often cite when discussing AI use, research integrity, ethics committee approval, and responsible AI practices in research projects. I have only included genuine university or sector resources.
UK University AI Ethics / Research Governance Guidance
- University of Oxford – Policy for Using Generative AI in Research
https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/support-researchers/research-practice/policy-generative-ai-research (University of Oxford) - University of Oxford – Guidance on Safe and Responsible Use of GenAI Tools
https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/life/it/guidance-safe-and-responsible-use-gen-ai-tools (University of Oxford) - University of Leeds – Ethical Use of AI in Research
https://generative-ai.leeds.ac.uk/ai-use-in-research/ethical-use-of-ai/ (generative-ai.leeds.ac.uk) - University of Leeds – AI Use in Research Procedures and Guidance
https://generative-ai.leeds.ac.uk/ai-use-in-research/procedures-and-guidance/ (generative-ai.leeds.ac.uk) - University of Leeds – Generative AI Guidance for Postgraduate Researchers
https://generative-ai.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/134/2024/08/UoL-GenAI-guidance-for-postgraduate-researchers.pdf (generative-ai.leeds.ac.uk) - University of Glasgow – AI Guidance for Researchers
https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/strategy/ourpolicies/ai-for-researchers/ (University of Glasgow) - University of Warwick – Guidance on AI in Research
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/ris/research-integrity/airesearch/ (warwick.ac.uk) - University of York – Use of Artificial Intelligence in Research
https://www.york.ac.uk/staff/research/governance/research-policies/generative-ai/ (University of York) - University of East Anglia – Generative AI Policy for Research and Innovation
https://assets.uea.ac.uk/f/185167/x/ecb798aeb2/generative-ai-policy-for-research-and-innovation.pdf (assets.uea.ac.uk) - University of the West of England – Generative AI in Research Governance
https://www.uwe.ac.uk/research/policies-and-standards/generative-ai-in-research (uwe.ac.uk) - London School of Economics – Guidance on the Use of Generative AI for Research
https://www.lse.ac.uk/DSI/Assets/documents/LSE-Guidance-on-the-use-of-Generative-AI-for-research.pdf (lse.ac.uk) - London School of Economics – AI Research Guidance
https://www.lse.ac.uk/DSI/AI/AI-Research (lse.ac.uk) - Imperial College London – Generative AI Guidance for Academic Work
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/library/learning-support/generative-ai-guidance/ (Imperial College London) - University of Edinburgh – Generative AI Guidance for Staff
https://information-services.ed.ac.uk/computing/comms-and-collab/elm/generative-ai-guidance-for-staff (information-services.ed.ac.uk) - University of Edinburgh – Guidance on Referencing AI in Academic Work
https://information-services.ed.ac.uk/computing/comms-and-collab/elm/generative-ai-guidelines-for-students/generative-ai (information-services.ed.ac.uk) - University of Liverpool – Guidance on the Use of Generative AI in Teaching, Learning and Assessment
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/media/livacuk/centre-for-innovation-in-education/digital-education/generative-ai-teach-learn-assess/guidance-on-the-use-of-gen-ai-learn-teach-assess.pdf (liverpool.ac.uk) - University of Birmingham – Framework for Using Generative AI in Research and Study
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/libraries/asc/student-guidance-gai.aspx (University of Birmingham) - King’s College London – Institutional Guidance on Generative AI
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/about/strategy/learning-and-teaching/ai-guidance (King’s College London) - University College London – Framework for GenAI Use in Assessment and Academic Work
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/generative-ai-hub/three-categories-genai-use-assessment (University College London) - Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) – Ethical Considerations for Generative AI in Higher Education
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/sector-resources/generative-artificial-intelligence/ethical-considerations-for-using-generative-ai-in-higher-education (qaa.ac.uk)
