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Start with the rules for your specific course and assignment—not a general assumption about what AI use is allowed. Read the syllabus and assignment directions, check any department policy, and ask your instructor before using AI if the boundary is unclear. If use is permitted, keep it within the approved task, disclose it as required, check anything you rely on, and make sure the submitted work reflects your own reasoning.
Why the course rule matters more than a general AI guideline
There is no single academic-integrity rule that applies at every school. An instructor may allow AI use if it is disclosed, require advance permission, or permit some activities while prohibiting others. A policy from another institution cannot tell you what your instructor allows.
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For example, Vanderbilt advises students to check course materials and contact the instructor when guidance is missing. Columbia University and Columbia Business School describe stricter defaults for assignment or exam use without clear permission. These are institution-specific approaches, not universal rules. Vanderbilt guidance; Columbia University guidance; Columbia Business School guidance.
Check what kind of AI use is allowed
“Is AI allowed?” is often too broad a question. Permission for one use does not automatically cover another. A course may distinguish study support from writing assistance, drafting, submitted text, or exam use.
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Columbia Law School’s 2026–2027 default policy illustrates how specific these boundaries can be: it distinguishes learning support and some writing assistance from exams and AI-generated submitted work, and requires advance written permission for exam use. It also says, “All submitted work must represent the student’s own deliberate thinking and judgment.” That policy applies to Columbia Law School, not to students elsewhere. Columbia Law School policy.
- Study support: Ask whether you may use AI to explain a concept, quiz you, or help you review.
- Planning and editing: Confirm whether brainstorming, outlining, or proofreading is allowed.
- Writing and submitted work: Do not assume permission to brainstorm includes permission to generate prose for your submission.
- Exams and quizzes: Check the exam rules specifically; permission for coursework may not extend to assessments.
What to do when the rules are unclear
Ask your instructor before using the tool. Name the assignment, the AI tool, and the exact task you have in mind. Also ask what disclosure is expected. Dartmouth says students are responsible for clarifying acceptable use and acknowledgement expectations; Columbia Business School similarly recommends asking the professor if the syllabus or assignment does not make the policy clear. Dartmouth coursework policy; Columbia Business School guidance.
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You can write:
For [assignment], may I use [tool] to [specific task, such as brainstorm possible topics or proofread a draft]? If so, how would you like me to disclose that use?
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If you do not receive permission or cannot resolve the ambiguity before the deadline, the safest course is not to use AI for the disputed task.
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How to disclose AI use correctly
Follow the instructor’s requested format. Depending on the course, disclosure may mean a citation, a short description of the tool and its purpose, a shareable chat link, or a reflection. Do not assume that one school’s format applies in another class.
Princeton provides a sample use statement and explains that disciplinary expectations differ. Its published guidance quotes the university’s rules: “If generative AI is permitted by the instructor (for brainstorming, outlining, etc.), students must disclose its use rather than cite or acknowledge the use, since it is an algorithm rather than a source.” Dartmouth also provides sample acknowledgements, while Simon Business School’s 2025–2026 handbook shows that course policies can use different defaults and disclosure approaches. Princeton guidance; Dartmouth coursework policy; Simon Business School handbook.
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Keep a record of which tool you used and what you used it for. That makes it easier to give an accurate disclosure if your instructor asks for one.
Verify the output and take responsibility for the submission
AI output can be inaccurate, and generated references or quotations should not be treated as proof that a source exists or says what the tool claims. Check factual statements, quotations, and citations against the original source. Revise with your own judgment, and be ready to explain the reasoning in your work.
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Vanderbilt advises students to consider whether they can assess output for accuracy and hallucinations. Columbia Law School places full intellectual responsibility on the student. Vanderbilt guidance; Columbia Law School policy.
Protect private and confidential information
Do not paste private educational records, client information, confidential material, or unpublished work into an AI service unless both the applicable rules and the service’s protections clearly permit it. Columbia’s guidance flags privacy and information-security risks, including the possibility that submitted inputs may become public. Columbia University guidance.
Quick Recap
A practical pre-submission check
- Read the current syllabus, assignment directions, exam rules, and any relevant department guidance.
- Identify the exact AI task you are considering rather than asking only whether AI is allowed in general.
- Ask the instructor before using AI if permission or disclosure expectations are unclear.
- Use AI only for the task the course permits; do not extend permission to drafting or exams without confirmation.
- Keep a record of the tool and its role in your work.
- Verify claims, quotations, and references against authoritative original sources.
- Disclose use in the required format and ensure the submitted work represents your own understanding and judgment.
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