Artificial intelligence (AI) Support - GCSE Art and Design (8201 - 8206) NEA components and A-level Art and Design (7201 - 7206) NEA components

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana

Provides guidance on the valid and unacceptable use of artificial intelligence (AI) in GCSE Art and Design and A-level Art and Design NEA components. Outlines key expectations for originality, authenticity, and evidencing learners’ decision-making, interpretation, and reflection on AI outputs. Explains how AI may support research and idea development, while requiring documented use and appropriate adaptation. Specifies referencing requirements, including tool details, prompts, screenshots, parameters, and written explanations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Key expectations

Valid use of AI in GCSE and A-level Art and Design NEA

How AI may be used

Practical requirements

Unacceptable use of AI in GCSE and A-level Art and Design

Referencing AI use

Notes and guidance: Artificial intelligence (AI) Support GCSE Art and Design (8201 – 8206) NEA components A-level Art and Design (7201 – 7206) NEA components This support document provides information and advice regarding the valid and unacceptable use of artificial intelligence (AI) . It includes the steps to take if you suspect AI misuse. Introduction AI tools are becoming more developed in their capabilities and prevalent within operating systems and software, so it is important to consider the use of these tools in the context of this component. This guidance should be read alongside JCQ’s AI Use in Assessments: Protecting the Integrity of Qualifications and existing AQA Art and Design specifications. Learners may not receive direct credit for the AI content itself. They must demonstrate evidence of decision making, interpretation and reflection on the output of the AI tool. This guidance should be read alongside JCQ’s AI Use in Assessments: Protecting the Integrity of Qualifications and existing AQA Art and Design specifications. Key expectations • All work submitted for assessment must be the learner’s own original work. • Learners must not submit written work that is copied, paraphrased, or heavily derived from any other source, including AI-generated content, without appropriate development and referencing. • Teachers and learners must sign candidate record forms confirming the authenticity of submitted work. • Learners must demonstrate their skills and knowledge in relation to the assessment objectives for Art and Design. Valid use of AI in GCSE and A-level Art and Design NEA AI may be legitimately used by learners within Component 1 and 2, for example to: • Support initial research into artists, styles, or approaches. • To generate material to aid learners’ understanding of contextual and other sources, visual language, and materials, processes and techniques. • AI can be used as a supporting tool to assist in investigating, generating, developing and refining ideas, but learners must demonstrate their understanding, decision-making, creativity and skills in their own work. • It is important that learners document how they used AI to inform their decisions. When using AI learners must always try to: • Extend, adapt, and develop AI-generated content whilst demonstrating their own skills, knowledge, and creativity. • Show a clear understanding of techniques used, through written analysis, practical testing, and critical reflection. There are a number of developing AI tools relevant to this subject, for example: • ChatGPT: a generative AI assistant which can respond to questions and prompts, and compose or summarise written content. • Midjourney: can transform prompts into customised images, and designs, produce short videos from uploaded still images and combine historical styles. • Runway: can produce images from prompts and transform and enable editing of uploaded images and designs, with applications including art, graphics, animation, fashion, textiles, 3D modelling, photography and video. • PromeAI: can respond to prompts to produce images, designs, patterns, layouts, visuals, storyboards, video, screenshots from modelling software, and rendered drawings. Uploaded images and designs can be transformed, edited, and visualised in context. Where learners use AI, they must acknowledge its use and show clearly how they have used it in order that teachers can acknowledge this use, check it is valid use and recognise it when applying the assessment criteria during marking and moderation. The lists of suppliers of AI-related products are for information purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement by AQA. It is each centre’s or individual’s responsibility to investigate and verify any suppliers they use, including any terms and conditions which govern the sale or use of the supplier’s products. The lists provided are not exhaustive. Referencing AI use Whe

FAQs

What must learners do to use AI validly in Art and Design NEA work?

Learners may use AI to support research and idea development, but they must extend, adapt, and develop AI-generated content. They also need to evidence their own understanding through written analysis, practical testing, and critical reflection.

What counts as unacceptable AI use in GCSE and A-level Art and Design?

Unacceptable use includes submitting work that is not the learner’s own independent work, failing to acknowledge AI use, or presenting AI-generated images and designs as original without appropriate modification and acknowledgement.

What information must be referenced when AI is used for assessed written or artwork?

Learners must reference the AI tool used (including version and access link), prompts or search terms, annotated screenshots of tool use and outputs, settings/parameters, and a written explanation of how AI content was adapted and integrated.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana