Frequently Asked Questions (AI)

Use AI responsibly in your research. Generative AI tools offer powerful capabilities to streamline research workflows and code development. However, they are designed to support, not replace, the expertise and scholarly rigor of academic researchers. When incorporating AI into your research, keep the following guidance in mind:

Do not trust AI blindly. AI can produce incorrect, unreliable, biased, or fabricated outputs. You are responsible for checking AI-generated content and sources. Always keep a human in the loop.

Existing rules still apply. AI tools are subject to the same policies that apply to other software and research tools at Boston College. Using AI does not create an exception to the existing security requirements.

Make a plan. Before beginning a project that uses AI tools, define the approved toolsets, documentation standards, and human verification steps to ensure accurate and reproducible workflows.

Boston College has established guidelines for appropriate AI use, including ethical and legal considerations, data security, privacy, and university policies. Visit the AI @ BC Guidelines page for more information.

Boston College has acquired licenses for select AI tools with data protection, meaning information remains private and your chat prompts are not used to train the large language models. For the complete details on available software, visit BC AI Tools.

If you are interested in any software, hardware, or technology services (even if they are free), use the BC University Tech Acquisition (“Get Tech”) process.

For research protections and participant privacy requirements, visit BC Research Protections and review the IRB AI Guidance.

Using AI in academic research requires maintaining core ethical principles as detailed in the Belmont Report:

  • Respect for Persons: Respect people’s privacy and autonomy by protecting their personal information, being transparent about how AI uses their data, and allowing them to make their own choices. When you use AI, be mindful of what personal or sensitive information you share and maintain control over how your information is used.
  • Beneficence: Use AI only when it provides meaningful benefits, is safe and secure, and actively works to prevent harm or misinformation. Consider whether AI is appropriate and necessary for the task.
  • Justice: Make sure AI is fair and does not reinforce bias, worsen inequality, or take advantage of vulnerable groups. Be aware that AI outputs may reflect biases or inequalities and use your judgment rather than assuming its recommendations are neutral or fair.

For additional reading, view the BC Libraries Ethical Considerations for AI Use.

Academic Research Services provides provides consultation, training, and tutorials to support computing and research at Boston College.

Schedule a consultation: Have questions about using AI responsibly and effectively in your research? Submit a ticket to Research Services to discuss with a member of our team.

Explore our Educational AI-Supported Guided Learning Environment and Tools (EAGLETs): For more accurate AI support, use our curated Research Services Gemini Notebooks for topic-specific guidance on data acquisition, statistical modeling, and the HPC cluster.

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