Responsible Use of GenAI for Research Activities: Insights from UCD

Authors:  Shen Wang, Adrian Byrne, Jiaying Guo

Organisation:  School of Computer Science, UCD

The rapid adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) tools in research has raised both opportunities and ethical challenges. While researchers leverage GenAI for literature reviews, data analysis, and text generation, concerns about research integrity persist. In response, the European Research Area (ERA) Forum introduced “Living Guidelines on the Responsible Use of GenAI in Research” in March 2024, but these guidelines lack concrete implementation examples.

Our project seeks to bridge that gap by promoting the ERA guidelines, collecting case studies of responsible GenAI use, and providing feedback on their practical applicability. Supported by the Wellcome Trust through the UCD Research Culture Initiative, the project began with two workshops in 2024, engaging researchers across disciplines.

Survey data from the first workshop at the UCD School of Computer Science highlighted widespread use of ChatGPT but revealed that 80% of researchers had no formal training in GenAI. Discussions emphasized the importance of maintaining human oversight and ensuring ethical AI use. The second workshop at CeADAR explored industry-focused applications, where GenAI was largely seen as beneficial, though concerns about disclosure and privacy persisted.

The final phase includes a university-wide workshop in Spring 2025 and a training video to embed responsible GenAI use across disciplines. Findings will be shared with the ERA Forum to refine the guidelines, fostering a research culture that balances GenAI’s potential with integrity and accountability.