Artificial Intelligence at Pepperdine University
Overview
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing our world, and Pepperdine IT is committed to being at the forefront of this technological shift for the University. AI has the potential to have a transformative effect on teaching and learning, while improving student outcomes, and making Pepperdine administrative processes more efficient and effective.
Best Practices
AI is a powerful tool in its developmental infancy. Because its success relies on access to information, every product of AI should be measured against the following guidelines:
- Never share private data with an AI application/tool. Off-limits data includes but is not limited to: Restricted Data (for example, Social Security numbers), proprietary intellectual property (IP), or personally identifiable information (PII) such as FERPA-protected educational records, personnel records, financial data, and legal matters. If in doubt, use this rule of thumb: you should only give AI tools information that you would post on a public website.
- If you need to create a password to log into an AI service, use one that is completely different from your Pepperdine password and that meets our password standards.
- Carefully review all AI output with the understanding that generative results may include significant hallucinations, changes to your meaning, unattributed intellectual property, factual errors, and biased or inappropriate statements. Always exercise caution and validate all AI output before including it in your work.
- Everyone in the academic community is individually responsible for content accuracy and integrity, along with the ability to have their work replicated. Select academic publications prohibit the use of generative AI tools in manuscripts, and some federal granting agencies prohibit AI’s use in reviews and submissions. Considering the dynamic environment surrounding AI, it is vital to stay current with all funding-agency and publication guidelines to ensure compliance.
IT Training and LinkedIn Learning Courses
Pepperdine University offers faculty and staff training opportunities on AI. Some examples are listed below:
Partnerships
Pepperdine IT partners with individuals and groups at the University to advance the use of AI in higher education, including:
- The Artificial Intelligence in Imaging and Neuroscience Lab
- Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee
- IT Department's Artificial Intelligence Task Force
AI in Action
Pepperdine University is using AI in a number of ways to improve teaching and learning.
Use Cases
These Pepperdine use cases include:
Resources
Looking for more information on the state of artificial intelligence in higher education? Check out these resources:
Applications
These software packages include artificial intelligence tools, and they are currently under review at Pepperdine University:
- Asana
- Google Gemini
- Zoom
Glossary
Understanding artificial intelligence requires a working knowledge of the jargon that is commonly used in working with AI. You can refer to some of the common terms below or the full NIST AI glossary.
| AI Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) | The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines or computer systems. AI can mimic human capabilities such as communication, learning, and decision-making. |
| AI Ethics | The study of the ethical implications of AI, such as fairness, transparency, and accountability. |
| Big Data | Large, complex data sets that are difficult to process with traditional data management tools. |
| Chatbot | A software application that is designed to imitate human conversation through text or voice commands. |
| Deep Learning | When AI imitates the human brain by learning from how it structures and processes information to make decisions. |
| Generative AI | A type of technology that uses AI to create content, including text, video, code, and images. |
| Hallucination | An incorrect response from an AI system or false information in an output that is presented as factual information. |
| Prompt | An input that a user feeds to an AI system in order to get a desired result or output. |