Artificial Intelligence
The term “generative AI” refers to artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can create original data, such as text, video, images, and even music. These tools work by accessing huge amounts of human-produced information and putting that information together in a way that mimics human creations.
The use of these tools in academic settings to generate text for classwork can violate academic integrity in the same way as the use of other prohibited methods discussed in this tutorial, such as purchasing a completed paper on the internet and turning it in for your assignment or paying someone to write a paper for you. Unless your instructor specifically authorizes the use of generative AI as a learning tool (for example, to summarize information on a topic), using these tools could constitute a violation under Penn State’s academic integrity policy, which prohibits “accessing or using unauthorized or prohibited materials, information, tools, technologies, or study aids.”
If you’re unsure if you should use generative AI for any assignment, always follow the guidance given by your instructor and in your syllabus. Even if your instructor does allow the use of generative AI, you still need to cite the tool you used in your assignments just as you would credit any other source.
Refer to the Penn State University Libraries Quick Citation Guides: