Students · The RAFT Framework for Ethical AI Use
A research recommendation
See how independent thinking, bounded AI assistance, verification, and your own decisions fit together in three different assignments.
A research recommendation
Task: recommend whether a campus library should pilot later study hours. The instructor is assessing your use of evidence and the limits of your conclusion.
R Research Independently First
You read the three sources and write an initial view: “The library should stay open later every night.” You record the survey result, seat counts, and staffing cost before opening AI.
A Augment Your Work
You ask: “What limitations or alternative explanations should I investigate? Do not write my recommendation or add sources.” AI suggests checking whether volunteers represent all students and whether three nights show typical demand.
F Fact-Check Everything
You return to the packet. The survey is 46 ÷ 80 = 57.5% of respondents, not all students. The room was observed on only three nights. Two extra hours cost $80 per night. The packet does not establish campus-wide demand.
T Transform Into Your Own Work
Your own recommendation: “Pilot two extra hours on three evenings, at an estimated staffing cost of $240, and record attendance. Current evidence suggests interest but is too limited to justify a permanent change.”
Retain: your initial notes, source checks, and the reason you chose a pilot. The learning is in weighing the evidence and explaining the limits, not making a polished paragraph.
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By Dr. Chase Cookson · v2.1 (009019026)
Course, assignment, and institutional rules take priority.