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What UK university AI policies actually do: a study of 96 institutions (HEPI Policy Note 71)

Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) · Illingworth, S. · May 2026

Key points

  1. Analysis of UK university AI policies finds 41 per cent of 163 degree-awarding institutions have no easily findable public AI policy.
  2. Four exemplar policies are named, including creative-arts specialist Arts University Plymouth.
  3. A policy's hosting location predicts its function: misconduct-framework policies enforce compliance, learning-and-teaching policies educate.

Summary

HEPI Policy Note 71, authored by Illingworth, S. and published 21 May 2026, analyses AI policies across 163 UK degree-awarding institutions. It finds that over two-fifths have no publicly findable AI policy, and identifies a structural pattern in how policies function depending on where they are housed. The naming of Arts University Plymouth as an exemplar among four institutions, and the analytical framework distinguishing compliance-oriented from education-oriented policies, make this the reference study for any UK creative-arts institution writing or reviewing its own AI policy.

Source

Source: Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) ↗ (Research)

Cite this item

Illingworth, S. (2026). ‘What UK university AI policies actually do: a study of 96 institutions (HEPI Policy Note 71)’, Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI). Available at: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/reports/what-uk-university-ai-policies-actually-do-a-study-of-96-institutions/

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