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Artificial Intelligence/Generative AI

Ethical Use and Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity and Generative AI

Academic integrity is a critical aspect of education that centers on honesty, trustworthiness, and ethical conduct in academic pursuits. When it comes to generative AI, academic integrity is relevant in several ways:

  1. Plagiarism: One of the most significant concerns is plagiarism. If a student uses generative AI to create academic papers, essays, or other assignments without proper attribution or understanding of the content, it can be considered plagiarism. Plagiarism involves presenting someone else's work as your own, and when AI generates content, it may be difficult to distinguish it from the student's original work.

  2. Citation and Attribution: Academic integrity requires students to properly cite and attribute the sources they use in their work. When using generative AI to assist in research or content creation, students should ensure that they give credit to the AI tool or the sources it was trained on if relevant.

  3. Understanding the Material: Academic integrity encourages students to engage with and understand the material they are studying. If generative AI is used to create assignments without the student actually comprehending the content, it undermines the educational process and ethical principles.

  4. Cheating: Some educational institutions may consider using generative AI to complete assignments as a form of cheating. Cheating involves gaining an unfair advantage over other students, and using AI to generate content without understanding or contributing to the work can be seen as dishonest.

To maintain academic integrity while utilizing generative AI, students should:

  • Clearly disclose if AI was involved in the creation of their work.
  • Ensure that AI-generated content is properly cited.
  • Use AI as a tool for assistance rather than a substitute for understanding and critical thinking.
  • Adhere to their educational institution's policies on the use of AI in academic work.

Educational institutions and instructors also need to be aware of the potential for AI-related academic misconduct and establish clear guidelines and policies to address these issues. Balancing the benefits of AI technology with the principles of academic integrity is essential for ethical and effective education.

 

Citing Aritificial Intelligence (MLA and APA)

If your professor allows the use of AI in your work, it is important to still provide citation information. 

MLA Example

"Description of what was generated." AI tool, Specific version of AI tool, AI tool creator, date content generated, URL.

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt.

ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

APA Example

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

U.S. Copyright Office and A.I.
The U.S. Copyright Office has been examining the copyright law and policy issues raised by artificial intelligence (AI), including the scope of copyright in AI-generated works and the use of copyrighted materials in AI training.

How Do I Cite Generative A.I. in MLA style?
Check out the updated MLA Style guide (as of August 2025) for instructions and plenty of examples.

Citing generative AI in APA Style
Examples and references about how to cite A.I. in APA style standards by the American Psychological Association.

--This page is from the Artificial Intelligence Guide by Ashley Tipton, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services, Moffett Library, Midwestern State University