Information for Students
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools can support learning, but expectations for their use may vary across courses, instructors, and assignments. This page is designed to help you make informed choices about using AI in your academic work.
According to York’s Academic Conduct Policy, students are expected to follow all course and assignment instructions about the use of AI tools. Using AI tools without proper citation, acknowledgement, or documentation, or using them when they are not permitted for an assessment, may be considered a breach of academic conduct.
Because expectations for AI use can change, always review the most recent course and assignment instructions before using AI. The sections below provide practical guidance on how to check expectations, ask questions when expectations are unclear, manage common risks, and acknowledge or document your use of AI when needed.
AI use means using an AI-based tool to help with any part of your academic work. In some courses or assignments, certain uses of AI may be allowed, while in others they may be limited or not permitted. This includes using AI to generate, revise, translate, summarize, analyze, code, create, or otherwise contribute to work for a course, assignment, test, exam, project, lab, presentation, discussion post, or other academic activity.
This may include using AI to help with:
- writing, editing, summarizing, translating, or explaining ideas
- creating or changing images, audio, video, slides, or presentations
- writing or checking code
- analyzing data, doing calculations, or explaining results
- developing research ideas, search terms, source recommendations, citations, or bibliographies
Before using any AI-based tool for academic work, check your course and assignment instructions. If you are unsure whether a tool counts as AI use or whether it is allowed for a specific assignment, ask your instructor or TA before using it.
AI use may be permitted, restricted, or prohibited depending on the course and the specific work you are completing. Before using AI for coursework, check the instructions that apply to the specific course, assignment, or assessment.
Start by reviewing:
- the course syllabus
- assignment instructions
- the rubric or grading criteria
- eClass announcements or messages from your instructor
- any department, program, or placement guidelines that apply
Look for information about whether AI tools are permitted, restricted, or prohibited. Also check whether you are required to cite, acknowledge, document, or disclose your use of AI.
Under the Academic Conduct Policy, using undocumented or unreferenced AI-generated content, or using AI when it is restricted, may constitute a breach of academic conduct.
Expectations for AI tools may differ depending on whether they are used to support learning, practice skills, explore ideas, or complete work that will be submitted for grading.
Some instructors may allow AI for certain purposes, restrict AI use to specific activities, or prohibit it for an assignment, test, exam, lab, placement, or other academic work.
When AI use is permitted by an instructor, remember that it should support your learning rather than replace the work, thinking, or skills the assignment is designed to assess.
If the instructions are unclear, seem to conflict, or do not mention AI, ask your instructor or TA before using it. Do not assume AI use is allowed because it is not mentioned.
Questions to ask your instructor or TA
When asking for help, be specific. Explain the course or assignment, the AI tool or feature you want to use, and how you plan to use it. For example, you might ask:
- “Can I use AI to brainstorm ideas or narrow my topic?”
- “Can I use AI to create an outline before I start writing?”
- “Can I use AI to explain a concept or help me study?”
- “Can I use AI to revise grammar, wording, or sentence structure in my own draft?”
- “Can I use AI to summarize readings, lecture notes, or research articles?”
- “Can I use AI to translate text or improve clarity if English is not my first language?”
- “Can I use AI to generate, debug, or explain code, calculations, or data analysis?”
- “Do I need to acknowledge, cite, declare, or document my AI use?”
If AI use is permitted for your course or assignment, follow your instructor’s directions for acknowledging, citing, or documenting that use. Requirements may vary by course or assessment.
Your instructor may ask you to do one or more of the following:
- cite the AI tool using a required citation style
- include a short acknowledgement explaining how you used AI
- complete an AI use declaration
- submit prompts, outputs,drafts, or revision notes
- explain how you reviewed, revised, or verified AI-generated content
These terms are related, but they do not mean exactly the same thing:
- Acknowledging AI use means stating whether and how you used an AI tool.
- Citing AI use means formally referencing the tool according to a citation style or instructor requirement.
- Documenting AI use means keeping records of your process, such as prompts, outputs, drafts, notes, and revisions.
Do not assume that citation alone is enough. If your instructor gives specific instructions for disclosure or documentation, follow those instructions. If you are unsure what is required, ask your instructor or TA before submitting your work.
AI tools can be useful, but they are not always accurate, appropriate, or allowed. Before using AI for coursework, take a moment to think about what you are using it for, whether it is allowed, and whether the output will help you meet the expectations of the assignment. Thinking about these questions before you begin can help you avoid problems later.
Some risks to consider include:
- Accuracy and quality: AI tools can produce information that is inaccurate, incomplete, biased, misleading, or too general for your assignment. These tools may also invent sources, quotations, cases, data, or citations, or explain course concepts in ways that are oversimplified or incorrect.
- Your own work and learning: AI tools may revise your work in ways that change your meaning, argument, voice, or level of contribution. Relying too much on AI can also interfere with your learning if it replaces the thinking, practice, or skills the assignment is designed to assess.
- Academic conduct: Using AI when it is not permitted, or using it in ways that do not follow course or assignment instructions, may count as unauthorized assistance. If AI use is allowed, you may still need to cite, acknowledge, document, or disclose how you used it.
- Group work: Using AI in group work can create problems if other group members do not know about it, do not agree to it, or if the use does not follow the assignment instructions.
- Privacy, confidentiality, and ownership: Entering personal, sensitive, unpublished, or third-party information into an AI tool can create privacy or confidentiality concerns. Uploading course materials, readings, images, data, or other content without permission may also raise copyright or intellectual property concerns.
Before you submit
Keep in mind that you are responsible for the work you submit, including any content created or changed with AI assistance. This means you should:
- Review AI-generated content carefully. Check facts, sources, calculations, quotations, code, and interpretations against appropriate course materials, scholarly sources, or other reliable references.
- Use the approved tool, if your course or program requires or recommends a specific AI tool. Follow any instructions about privacy, login, data, and permitted use.
- Check before using AI in placements, internships, clinical, community-based, workplace, or research settings. Ask your program, supervisor, or placement contact, as additional confidentiality, professional, ethical, or legal requirements may apply.
- Do not rely on AI-detection tools or percentage scores that claim to show whether writing was AI-generated. These tools can be unreliable and should not replace following your instructor’s directions, being transparent when required, and keeping records of your work.
Keep records that show how your work developed, especially if AI use is permitted or if your instructor asks you to document your process. These records can help you explain what you did, show your own contribution, and meet any documentation requirements for the course or assignment.
Depending on the course or assignment, useful records may include:
- assignment instructions and any AI-use directions
- research notes, outlines, planning notes, drafts, or version history, including saved drafts or document history in tools such as Word or Google Docs
- prompts entered into an AI tool and AI-generated outputs
- notes on how you reviewed, changed, or rejected AI-generated content
- sources you consulted to verify information
- citations, acknowledgements, AI-use declarations, or reflections on how AI contributed to your learning or final submission
If your instructor requires a specific format, such as an AI-use declaration, prompt log, reflection, or draft history, ensure that you follow those instructions.
If you are unsure whether or how you may use AI for coursework, ask before using it. Check the instructions that apply to your course, assignment, or assessment, and ask your instructor or TA if anything is unclear. You can also connect with York supports and resources for help understanding expectations, strengthening your academic skills, and making informed choices about AI use.
You can also use York supports and resources, such as:
- York’s academic integrity resources, including student resources and academic integrity modules.
- York University Libraries, including citation help, research support, and academic integrity workshops
- For more information about applying a particular citation style, review the Libraries' Citing Your Work guide or the SPARK Creating Bibliographies module.
- The Writing Centre for support with academic writing.
- Learning Skills Resources, including support for time management, studying, and academic skill development.
- Academic peer supports, such as Peer Tutoring, Peer Mentoring, Peer Advising, and Peer-Assisted Study Sessions, where available. Ask your instructors, TAs, or student association to find out how to get connected with peer tutors, or visit Learning Skills Resources.
- Graduate student resources, including the Academic Honesty Module and Other Graduate Student Resources.
- The ESL Open Learning Centre and/or ESL Student Advising for students seeking English-language support.
- Student Counselling, Health & Wellbeing if you’re feeling stressed or overburdened by the demands of academic life or other personal challenges.
If you require more information on academic honesty, Faculty-specific information can be found on the Contact page. For general questions, please contact academicintegrity@yorku.ca.
