Artificial intelligence in higher education

What role should artificial intelligence play in higher education? From ChatGPT to DeepSeek, generative AI (GenAI) tools of all kinds are forcing a rethink of university teaching, assessment, research and administrative work. Find out how to build AI literacy across an institution, use GenAI to support learning, harness AI tools as teaching and research assistants and manage the risks posed by GenAI and other AI technologies.

By Eliza.Compton, 22 January, 2026

Ethical AI: safeguards for the research revolution

Artificial intelligence can accelerate discovery in ways humans alone cannot. For Hongliang Xin, the key is pairing AI’s power with ethical safeguards, institutional governance and responsible oversight

Reading time

4minutes

By Laura.Duckett, 22 January, 2026

GenAI as a research assistant

A researcher reading a pile of books next to a robot with a trolley of more books

GenAI is reshaping research, from accelerating discovery to easing administrative burdens. Discover practical guidance on how researchers can use these tech tools effectively and ethically

By Laura.Duckett, 22 January, 2026

Teaching design in 3D: blending sketching, AI and AR

A hand sketching prototype designs amongst rulers and other tools

GenAI can do more than generate images – it can spark design students’ ability to imagine objects and spaces in 3D. Here’s how

By Laura.Duckett, 21 January, 2026

From shortcut to support: GenAI’s role in essay-writing

A student writing an essay by hand in a library

A guide to moving beyond panic and prohibition, showing how educators can set clear, evidence-informed boundaries that turn GenAI from an essay-writing shortcut into a meaningful learning support

Reading time

5minutes

By Laura.Duckett, 20 January, 2026

When GenAI makes answers cheap, assessment must value judgement

A male student working on his laptop in the library

Generative AI has not broken assessment; it has exposed its weaknesses. Moving beyond bans and blind adoption requires redesigning assessment to reclaim pedagogical agency and make student judgement visible

By Eliza.Compton, 19 January, 2026

Harnessing AI to expand scientific discovery

AI and human collaboration concept illustration

From drug design to climate modelling, artificial intelligence can process data at scales far beyond human capacity. Hongliang Xin argues that the future of research lies in harnessing agentic AI through human-guided discovery

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 15 January, 2026

From model collapse to citation collapse: risks of over-reliance on AI in the academy

The way GenAI surfaces sources for literature reviews risks exacerbating the citation Matthew effect, writes David Joyner. Here, he offers ways to prevent AI-driven search from blunting the impact of new research

Reading time

4minutes

By kiera.obrien, 14 January, 2026

Be the conductor of your own GenAI orchestra for academic writing

A conductor gestures with a baton against a black blackground

Instead of using a single GenAI tool to create a one-note research paper, why not tune up an orchestra of machine assistants?

Reading time

5minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 13 January, 2026

Beyond search: how AI agents are redefining research

AI-augmented research can speed up processes such as literature review and data synthesis. Here, Ali Shiri looks at functionality of three AI agents

Reading time

4minutes

By Laura.Duckett, 7 January, 2026

How I use AI tools to enhance EFL students’ speaking skills

AI tools can help students of English as a foreign language build confidence in academic speaking by offering structured practice opportunities, personalised feedback and support with idea generation. Ka Ho To explains how

Reading time

4minutes

Artificial intelligence in higher education