AI position statement

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are becoming increasingly widespread and many people will be considering using AI to help them write funding applications or job applications. There are some benefits to using AI, from increased productivity to removing barriers for Disabled people and those whose dominant language is not English. However, as a funder and an employer, we are seeing a trend of over-reliance on AI in applications, and we want to help people use this technology in ways that will set them up for success.

We have created this statement and guidance to help navigate this emerging and changing landscape and clarify our position. Our position may change as technologies evolve, and we will update this page accordingly.   

For clarity, when we refer to AI within this statement, we mean generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, Copilot, Scribe etc.

Our position on the use of AI to write funding and/or job applications

We read every single funding and job application we receive and do not use AI in any part of our decision making. We understand if you want to use AI to support you in writing your funding or job application. However, it is often noticeable when AI has been over-relied on and, in many cases, this is not giving applicants the best chance of success. These applications are often generic, and do not bring out your own voice or uniqueness. 

Below we have outlined some of the key things to consider when using AI in applications so that you have the best chance of success.

Key considerations when using AI

Avoid generic responses

It is important to us that we understand you and your unique skills and knowledge, or the specialist work and impact of your charity. We receive a lot of applications that read the same when they have been written by AI. This makes it much harder for us to get to know you or your charity. If you could benefit from using AI to help you with an initial draft or grammar checks, we recommend that you make sure to tailor your response so that you can share your unique voice and experience with us.   

Look out for AI inaccuracies

AI can generate inaccurate content which can undermine your application. When applying for a job we would encourage you to use your knowledge and expertise to answer questions and bring this to life by sharing examples from your work history. As a charity, if you need to use data to evidence the need for your work, we recommend using reputable research, rather than information generated by AI.

Protect your data

There are lots of powerful free AI tools out there. While we recognise this is a great resource, many of these free models hold the data put into them. Every platform is different, but we encourage you to avoid putting confidential or sensitive information into free software. If you are paying for an AI tool, we suggest you find out about their data protection and retention policies to make sure your data is safe.   

Consider the impact on our environment

The energy and water requirements of AI are significant. For example, ChatGPT as a system uses the equivalent energy of 180,000 US homes and a single ChatGPT conversation uses the equivalent of a 500ml bottle of water. Therefore, we encourage you to be mindful of the environmental cost of using AI.   

Page last updated: November 2024