What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence refers to computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, including generating text, analysing information, recognising patterns, creating content or supporting decision-making.

What is Generative AI

Generative AI (GenAI) refers to a type of artificial model that can create new and original content, such as text, images, code and more. Unlike traditional AI systems that are designed for specific tasks like classification or predication. GenAI models can generate novel outputs based on the patterns and knowledge they have learned from vast amounts of data. For example, ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot.

The Bowlby centre and Gen AI

The Bowlby Centre recognises that AI is becoming an increasingly important part of contemporary society. We encourage trainees to develop their understanding of AI and to explore how these technologies may support learning, creativity, research, accessibility and the development of professional skills.

The aim is not to discourage the use of AI, but to promote informed, ethical and responsible engagement with these tools. Developing AI literacy is now an important part of preparing therapist to work effectively in a changing world.

AI may be used to support learning by helping trainees to:

• Explore ideas and perspectives
• Deepen understanding of psychoanalytic and therapeutic concepts
• Develop digital skills relevant to modern practice
• Critically engage with new technologies and their impact on society.

However, because our trainings are built on human connection, reflection, ethical awareness and clinical judgement, AI must always be used thoughtfully and within appropriate boundaries.

AI should be viewed as a learning support tool rather than a replacement for personal reflection, supervision, professional expertise or the therapeutic relationship.

Trainees are expected to use AI safely by:

• Protecting confidentiality and never entering identifiable client information into AI systems.
• Checking GenAI-generated information against reliable sources
• Recognising that AI can produce inaccurate, biased or misleading responses
• Maintaining academic and professional integrity
• Remaining responsible for their own learning, decisions and professional development.

Limitations of Gen AI

Generative AI, despite its powerful capabilities, has several inherent limitations that are important to understand. These limitations stem from the way these models are designed, trained and operated:

1) Factual Accuracy and Hallucinations: One of the most significant limitations is the tendency for models to “hallucinate” that is, to generate information that is plausible sounding but factually incorrect. Because these models are designed to predict the next most likely word or pixel they can confidently invent facts, details and sources that do not exist in reality.

2) Bias and Fairness: GenAI models are trained on vast datasets from the internet and other sources, which contain human-generated content reflecting existing societal biases. The models can learn, perpetuate and even amplify these biases related to race, gender, sexuality, disability, age and culture.

3) Data Privacy and Confidentiality: The data used to train the models can sometimes include personal or sensitive information derived from the internet. Therefore, there is a risk that the model might inadvertently reproduce this information in its output. In addition, user prompts (inputs) may be stored or used for further training, raising privacy concerns if not handled properly.

4) Environmental Impact: Training the generative models requires immense computational power, which consumes significant amounts of energy and can have a substantial environmental footprint. Running these models for inference also requires considerable resources, making them expensive to operate at scale.

5) Lack of Common Sense: While models can process and generate language with incredible fluency, they lack genuine common sense, consciousness or a true understanding of the physical and social world. Their “knowledge” is a statistical pattern-matching of the data they are trained on, not a deep, causal understanding.

Acceptable Uses of AI:

• Brainstorming ideas
• Improving grammar, spelling or clarity
• Generating study questions
• Summarising publicly available learning materials
• Exploring concepts as part of independent learningSupporting accessibility needs

Where AI has contributed materially to your work, then you are required to complete the AI Use – Declaration form – See Appendix 1.

Prohibited Uses of AI:

• Submit AI-generated work as their own
• Use AI to write reflective papers
• Use AI to fabricate clinical experiences or reflections
• Upload therapy notes, transcripts or client information to AI systems
• Use AI generated responses as a substitute for supervision

Trainees should discuss any uncertainty about AI use with their course tutor, seminar leader or supervisor.

Suspected Use of AI

Where the Bowlby Centre reasonably suspects that a trainee has used AI in relation to any activity listed as prohibited under this policy, the Bowlby Centre reserves the right to investigate the matter. This may include requesting drafts, notes, reflective materials or other evidence demonstrating the authenticity and originality of the work, together with an explanation of the individual’s process.

Consequences of a Confirmed Breach

Where an investigation concludes that a breach of this Policy has occurred, the Bowlby Centre may take one or more of the following actions, taking into account the seriousness of the breach, whether it was intentional and any impact on academic integrity, ethical and professional standards:

• Require the work or assessment to be resubmitted or repeated
• Require the trainee to undertake additional academic integrity or further training
• Require the trainee to repeat part of the training programme before progression
• Terminate the trainee’s enrolment in cases of serious or repeated breaches

Appendix 1

AI Use – Declaration Form

AI Use Declaration

(To be completed where AI tools have been used in any submitted work)

Trainee name: ___________________________

Programme/Seminar:_______________________

Assessment/Reflective Paper: _________________________

Date submitted: ___________________________

1. Have you used any Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in preparing this work?

☐ No — I have not used AI tools.
☐ Yes — I have used AI tools as described below.

2. AI tool(s) used

Please list the AI tool(s):

Examples may include:
• AI writing assistants
• Generative AI chatbots
• Transcription or summarisation tools.

3. How was AI used?

Please describe briefly:
☐ Grammar, spelling or language improvement
☐ Brainstorming or generating ideas
☐ Clarifying concepts
☐ Summarising learning materials
☐ Accessibility support
☐ Other:

Details:

4. Confirmation

I confirm that:
☐ The submitted work represents my own learning, reflection and understanding.
☐ I have not used AI to create clinical experiences, personal reflections, supervision material or client-related content.
☐ I have checked AI-generated information for accuracy.
☐ I have not entered confidential, identifiable or client information into an AI system.
☐ I understand that I remain responsible for the content submitted.

Signature: _______________________

Date: ___________________________