Using AI Tools in Your Horizons Project

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Bard are powerful resources that, when used appropriately, can enhance your research and development process. This guide helps you understand how to use these tools effectively and ethically in your Horizons project.

Core Principle

AI should be used to enhance your thinking and workflow, not to generate your core ideas or solutions. Your project should represent your team's original work and insights.

Appropriate Uses of AI

  1. 1. Research Enhancement

    Do Use AI For:
    • Generating questions to guide your research
    • Identifying potential areas to investigate
    • Helping understand complex academic papers
    • Finding connections between different aspects of your challenge

    Don't Use AI For:
    • Replacing actual research
    • Accepting AI's facts without verification
    • Writing your literature review
    • Creating citations

  2. 2. Project Organization

    Do Use AI For:
    • Creating meeting agendas
    • Developing project timelines
    • Organizing research notes
    • Making task lists
    • Tracking progress

    Don't Use AI For:
    • Replacing actual research
    • Accepting AI's facts without verification
    • Writing your literature review
    • Creating citations

  3. 3. Brainstorming Support

    Do Use AI For:
    • Expanding on your team's original ideas
    • Exploring different perspectives
    • Identifying potential stakeholders
    • Testing your assumptions
    • Playing devil's advocate

    Don't Use AI For:
    • Generating your main solution
    • Making key decisions
    • Determining your project direction

  4. 4. Writing and Editing

    Do Use AI For:
    • Proofreading
    • Grammar checking
    • Suggesting clearer phrasing
    • Formatting assistance

    Don't Use AI For:
    • Writing your proposal
    • Creating your analysis
    • Developing your conclusions

  5. 5. Presentation Support

    Do Use AI For:
    • Suggesting presentation structures
    • Formatting slides
    • Identifying key points to emphasize
    • Getting feedback on clarity

    Don't Use AI For:
    • Creating your final presentation
    • Writing your speaking notes
    • Developing your core message

Required: AI Usage Statement

Your final submission must include a brief AI Usage Statement that:

  1. Lists which AI tools you used
  2. Explains how you used them
  3. Describes the extent of AI assistance
  4. Confirms all core work is your team's original content

Example Statement

"Our team used ChatGPT to help organize our research notes and check grammar in our draft documents. We used Claude to generate questions that guided our stakeholder interviews. All research, analysis, solutions, and conclusions are our original work."

Best Practices

  1. Document AI Use
    • Keep notes about when and how you use AI tools
    • Save important AI interactions for reference
    • Be transparent with your mentor about AI usage
  2. Verify Everything
    • Fact-check any information from AI
    • Use reliable sources to confirm data
    • Don't trust AI for current events or statistics
  3. Maintain Ownership
    • Always understand every aspect of your project
    • Be able to explain your work without referencing AI
    • Use AI to enhance, not replace, your thinking
  4. When in Doubt
    • Ask your mentor or the Horizons team
    • Err on the side of less AI usage
    • Document your decision-making process

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • Will this enhance our original thinking?
  • Can we fully explain this without AI?
  • Are we using AI to save time or to avoid thinking?
  • Would we be proud to explain this AI use to the judges?

Getting Help

If you're unsure about appropriate AI use:

  1. Consult your mentor
  2. Email the Horizons team
  3. When in doubt, do the work without AI

Remember

Your Horizons project is about developing YOUR team's innovative solutions to complex problems. AI tools should support this goal, not replace your creative and analytical work.

Questions about AI usage? Contact: your@usu.edu.