This Penn State University Libraries guide introduces students and faculty to the basic concepts of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can be applied in teaching, learning, and research. We provide practical guidance on best practices for ethical use, citing AI-generated content and navigating the evolving AI landscape while upholding academic integrity. Regularly updated to reflect the current developments, this guide shares relevant university resources and policies. Our goal is to empower our community to harness the potential benefits of generative AI while understanding its limitations and implications. 

Artificial Intelligence is “a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments.” 

GenAI (Generative AI) “refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data they were trained on.” 

Definitions from the Penn State Final Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Effective and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Instruction

Microsoft Copilot is currently available to Penn State students, faculty and staff as as part of the University's Microsoft contract and is the generative AI tool recommended for course-related use. Penn State has contracted with Microsoft to ensure that information entered into Copilot is secure, confidential, and not used to train the tool itself. Penn State students, faculty and staff do not need to create an account; they can already access it through Penn State authentication. 

The generative AI landscape is changing rapidly, and new AI products and tools are being developed and modified frequently. For an updated list of AI products currently being used in higher education, see the Generative AI Product Tracker from Ithaka S+R.

This is a dynamic feed using "Generative AI" as keywords in the catalog.