The University of Sopron Introduces a Unified Framework for the Responsible Use of AI

“Artificial intelligence is bringing about changes in education and research that are still beyond imagination. It opens up new possibilities for creativity and productivity, while also posing serious challenges. Our goal is to ensure that our students, lecturers, and staff can make use of the opportunities AI offers, while preserving the community and academic values of Sopron,” said Prof. Dr. Attila Fábián, Rector of the University of Sopron.

The University’s AI regulation emphasizes personal responsibility: every member of the university community—student, lecturer, researcher, or staff member—is personally accountable for the authenticity, quality, and transparent sourcing of any content generated with the help of AI tools.

Adopted by the Senate, the document provides a flexible conceptual and methodological framework that can be adapted to the specific needs of each faculty. It also encourages the integration of innovative approaches tailored to the characteristics of faculties, institutes, and disciplines. In response to the rapid development of AI technologies, the University has mandated annual reviews of the guidelines and implemented a feedback mechanism to collect experiences from teachers, researchers, and students. This adaptive model ensures that the regulation supports innovation rather than restricting it.

The guideline defines the permitted and prohibited forms of AI use for each target group—students, lecturers, researchers, and administrative staff:

• For students, AI can support learning but cannot replace independent intellectual work.

• For lecturers, it provides guidance on how to incorporate AI usage rules into course syllabi and help develop students’ AI literacy.

• For researchers, it stipulates that AI-generated scientific content may only be used after critical review and transparent referencing.

• For administrative staff, it requires that any materials prepared with AI assistance must undergo human review and approval.

For the first time in Hungarian higher education, the document also includes detailed ethical and data security protocols, explicitly prohibiting the upload of personal or research data to public AI systems, thus protecting the University’s data assets and reputation.

As an innovative step, the University of Sopron has launched an internal knowledge-sharing platform, providing access to international-level online AI courses, learning materials, and best practices for students, lecturers, and staff. The University has also initiated a thematic workshop series titled “AI for What?”, focusing on the practical aspects of responsible AI use—ethics, data protection, research methodology, and educational innovation.

The University of Sopron’s AI Guideline aims to serve as a model at the scientific, educational, and organizational levels for other higher education institutions in Hungary and abroad. The full text of the document will be available in both Hungarian and English on the University’s website.

The University of Sopron believes that this decision will contribute to the scientific foundation of the national discourse on AI in higher education, and it remains open to professional cooperation with all responsible domestic and international partners.