Academic Integrity and AI

Is using AI for academic work considered cheating?

To ensure your professor can evaluate your learning and progress, it’s important to complete your assignments as directed. Before using any AI tool or resource, consider these two critical questions:

• Is the tool doing the work being evaluated?
  Ensure you’re the one completing the task that’s being assessed. For instance, if spelling isn’t part of the assessment, using a spell-checker is fine. However, if the focus is on demonstrating language skills, using tools like ChatGPT or Google Translate might be inappropriate.
• Has your instructor approved the use of this tool?
  If the AI tool has been explicitly prohibited, or if its use hasn’t been approved by your instructor, relying on it could be considered cheating.

Always prioritize doing your own work and check with your instructor if you’re uncertain about the acceptable use of AI tools.

Academic Integrity Considerations

Before using AI for an assignment, reflect on the following to ensure your actions align with academic integrity:

• Values Check: Does using AI for this assignment (considering the learning objectives and grading criteria) compromise principles like honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness, or trustworthiness?
• Standards Check: Does using AI violate the academic integrity guidelines set by your instructor or the institution? For example, is the work you’re submitting genuinely your own and in your own words?
• Transparency Check: Would you feel comfortable if your professor or the Academic Integrity Office knew you used AI for this assignment, or would you feel uneasy about it being revealed?

If you’re unsure whether using AI aligns with the expectations for academic work, always consult your instructor for clarification.