Image: Dane Kelly
Community fund warns AI tools could make grant applications too generic, while acknowledging potential benefits for first drafts and non-native English speakers.
The National Lottery Community Fund has urged caution when using artificial intelligence tools in the process of writing grant funding applications.
It has published a statement in which it recognises that tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini are “increasingly embedded in our lives”, and applicants “will be keen to find ways to use these tools in their own work”.
But it has now said that a reliance on the technology to write a bid could result in an application which “[does not] tell the unique story of your community and how you want to support them”.
“Being too generic in content may disadvantage your application,” it said.
The organisation has made it clear it will not reject an application solely because AI was used, but has warned that AI-generated content “is not as strong as it might appear.”
It also cautions that data fed into AI tools may not be private, and the underlying technology used to create the tools has an environmental impact.
“The Fund prioritises applications that provide clear, detailed information” it said, with “real examples from your community and details from your work to stand out”, “budget planning and value for money”.
It said AI can provide a useful starting point in the creation of the first draft of an application, can support those for whom English is not a first language, and can assist those new to writing funding applications.
The full statement, including tips for use of the technology in applications, is available here.