It’s been over a year and a half since OpenAI freely released ChatGPT online, and since then Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) has touched almost every aspect of our lives. Though it has been around for much longer, it’s visibility and access to the public has revolutionised the way we work, study and live. And it continues to rapidly evolve as times goes on.
ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, and GitHub Copilot are all examples of Gen-AI software that produce new content such as text, images, code and audio. With other software also incorporating the use of Gen-AI, it is important to understand when it can and cannot be used within your studies.
You may already be familiar with what Gen-AI software can do, for example it can assist you with:
- answering questions, creating first drafts, summarising concepts and generating examples
- fixing grammatical errors and increasing your level of vocabulary
- translating text between languages
- having human-like conversations
But do you know how to use it appropriately in an academic setting?
There are several things you must carefully consider when choosing to use Gen-AI to aid in your studies. If you don’t use the software with caution, these tools may prevent your learning and critical thinking, contain bias, produce inaccurate or false information and much more.
However, there is potential for Gen-AI to improve innovation, productivity and organisation within your studies where your Unit Coordinators and units allow.
Always check with your Unit Coordinator for permission before using Gen-AI software
Before using Gen-AI to assist you in completing an assignment for your unit, check your assessment instructions carefully. Generally, you are not permitted to use Gen-AI software unless written permission is explicitly granted by the Unit Coordinator within Blackboard or your assessment specifications.
If you can use Gen-AI in your assessments, you must:
- Document its use – screenshot and save all work conducted via Gen-AI, such as prompts used, answers produced, how you edited the output and your purpose for using it.
- Verify the accuracy of all output you use – some Gen-AI software manufactures information. If you submit that information as part of your assessment task, it may be considered falsification or fabrication, which is considered misconduct.
- Apply appropriate acknowledgement and attribution rules. This means using in-text citations where you have quoted or paraphrased Gen-AI text and including a declaration of use in your final submission after your reference list. For specific details on how to cite and declare your use of Gen-AI, follow the advice for the referencing style used within your faculty:
Curtin uses Turnitin’s Gen-AI writing indicator to check assessments for undisclosed use of Gen-AI software so it’s important to be transparent and honest about Gen-AI’s use within your assessments to avoid misconduct. Unapproved, inappropriate, or undisclosed use may be dishonest or unfair behaviour, and therefore considered misconduct.
Golden Rule: When submitting any assessment, the final product must be your own work, not just content copied from Gen-AI software.
To learn the ins-and-outs of using Gen-AI as a student, find helpful resources and explore our FAQs, visit our new website.
To discover what you can and can’t use Gen-AI for at Curtin, visit the library website.
