Academic Integrity and AI: A Student Decision Guide

The same AI action can be permitted in one assignment and prohibited in another. Never infer permission from the tool being available.

Before using AI, answer five questions

1. What does the course or assignment policy say?
2. Is AI allowed for brainstorming, editing, coding, calculation, feedback, or no part of the task?
3. Must use be cited, linked, or described?
4. Does the input contain personal, confidential, copyrighted, assessment, workplace, patient, or research information?
5. Can you independently verify and explain the output?

If the policy is unclear, ask in writing with a concrete example.

Keep an AI-use record

Save the date, tool, purpose, relevant prompts, output used, checks performed, and changes made. Do not submit a raw conversation unless required; protect private information. A short process note can say, for example: “I used an AI tool to generate three practice counterexamples. I verified them algebraically and wrote the proof independently.” Follow the institution’s required format.

Red flags

• asking for a final answer on a prohibited assessment
• inserting sources you did not open
• submitting code or mathematics you cannot explain
• paraphrasing generated text only to evade detection
• uploading another person’s work or protected data
• assuming a detector can prove innocence or guilt

AI detection tools can be imperfect. The strongest protection is an honest process: notes, drafts, source trail, version history, and the ability to explain the work.

If you made a mistake

Stop further submission, preserve the record, read the policy, and contact the instructor or appropriate advisor promptly. Be factual about what happened. Do not fabricate drafts or delete evidence. The process and consequences depend on the institution.

Do I need to cite ChatGPT every time I use it?

Requirements vary by course, institution, purpose, and citation style. Follow the exact policy. When uncertain, disclose the use and ask before submitting.

Is using AI to fix grammar allowed?

Sometimes, but not universally. In language assessment, editing may be the assessed skill. In other work, limited proofreading may be allowed. Check the task.

What if AI gives me a fake citation?

Do not use it. Open every source yourself, verify author/title/date/claim, and cite the source you actually consulted. A fluent reference list is not evidence.

Guidance

• UNESCO guidance for generative AI in education
• Canada: responsible AI literacy
• The student’s school, board, course, and institution academic-integrity policies