Ethics — Plagiarism, Attribution, and When Not to Use AI

AI raises profound ethical questions — about academic integrity, about creative ownership, about transparency, about fairness. As AI tools become more powerful and more integrated into daily work and education, these questions become increasingly urgent.

This lesson is not about telling you what to think. It is about giving you the framework to make informed, ethical decisions about how you use AI tools.

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Academic Integrity: What Counts as Plagiarism?

The Fundamental Question

If a student uses AI to write an essay and submits it as their own work, is that plagiarism?

Most educational institutions say yes. The reasoning is straightforward: plagiarism is presenting someone else's work as your own. If AI generated the text and you did not disclose that, you are presenting work that is not genuinely yours.

But the reality is more nuanced. Consider this spectrum:

Scenario	AI Involvement	Generally Considered:
Writing an essay entirely by hand	None	Original work
Using a spell checker and grammar tool	Minimal, mechanical	Original work
Using AI to brainstorm ideas, then writing the essay yourself	AI-assisted ideation	Usually acceptable
Using AI to check grammar and suggest edits on text you wrote	AI-assisted editing	Usually acceptable
Asking AI to outline your essay, then writing the content yourself	AI-assisted structure	Depends on the institution
Asking AI to write a rough draft, then substantially rewriting it	AI-generated base, human revision	Often not acceptable
Submitting AI-generated text with minor edits	Mostly AI-generated	Not acceptable (plagiarism)
Submitting AI-generated text with no changes	Entirely AI-generated	Not acceptable (plagiarism)

Where Is the Line?

The line varies by institution, course, and even assignment. This means:

1. Check your institution's AI policy — most schools and universities have published guidelines
2. Ask your teacher or lecturer if you are unsure about a specific use case
3. When in doubt, disclose — transparency is almost always the safer option
4. Err on the side of doing more yourself — using AI as a learning aid is different from using it as a production tool

The Spirit vs. the Letter

Many AI policies are still catching up with the technology. Even if a specific use case is not explicitly prohibited, ask yourself: "Would my teacher consider this to be my own work?" If the answer is uncertain, talk to them.

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School and University Policies

The landscape of AI policies is evolving rapidly. As of 2025-2026, most institutions fall into one of these categories:

Category 1: Strict Prohibition

Some institutions ban all use of generative AI for assessed work. In these contexts, any use — even brainstorming or grammar checking beyond traditional spell-check — could be a violation.

Category 2: Permitted with Disclosure

Many institutions allow AI use but require students to disclose exactly how they used it. This might mean including a statement like: "AI was used to generate an initial outline and to check grammar. All content was written by the author."

Category 3: Specific Guidelines per Assignment

Some courses provide assignment-specific guidance: "You may use AI for the research phase but not for the writing phase" or "AI may be used for data analysis but not for interpretation."

Category 4: Encouraged Use

A growing number of courses — particularly in computing, data science, and professional skills — actively teach students to use AI effectively and assess their ability to do so.

Your Responsibility

Regardless of the category, it is your responsibility to:

• Know your institution's policy
• Follow it precisely
• Ask for clarification when needed
• Disclose AI use when required

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Attribution and Transparency

Even outside of academic settings, transparency about AI use matters. Here is why and how to do it.

Why Disclose AI Use?

1. Honesty: People have a right to know how content was produced
2. Trust: If someone discovers undisclosed AI use later, it damages trust far more than upfront disclosure would have
3. Calibration: Knowing AI was involved helps readers evaluate the content appropriately
4. Professional standards: Many industries are developing norms around AI disclosure

How to Disclose

Disclosure does not need to be elaborate. Simple, honest statements are sufficient:

• "This article was drafted with the assistance of AI and edited by the author."
• "AI tools were used for data analysis. All interpretations are the author's own."
• "The initial code was generated using GitHub Copilot and reviewed and modified by the development team."

When Is Disclosure Not Necessary?