This policy explains how you may and may not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in your studies and assessments within the Humanities and Social Sciences field of the CLCC. It applies to all students and all assessments unless your lecturer explicitly states otherwise. If you are unsure whether a specific use of AI is permitted, ask your lecturer before proceeding.

Key Definitions

Before reading this policy, it is important to understand the following terms:

  • Generative AI tools: Software that produces text, images, code, or other content in response to user prompts (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot).
  • Ethical use: Using AI tools to support your own learning without substituting your own thinking, writing, or analysis.
  • Unethical use: Using AI tools to generate, correct, or otherwise improve all or part of your assessment submission, except where explicitly permitted (see below).

Unethical use of AI constitutes academic misconduct, which may be classified as plagiarism, collusion, or contract cheating. Definitions of each can be found in the Academic Misconduct Policy.

Suspected cases will be investigated first by the lecturer, and then if necessary, formally investigated under the Academic Misconduct Policy.

You are allowed to use AI tools in the following ways:

  1. As a research starting point: You are welcome to use AI tools as a starting point for research - like how you might use Google or Wikipedia to get a basic understanding of a topic, clarify a concept, or explore examples. This is acceptable provided that:
    1. You do not copy or reproduce AI-generated text in your submission as your own writing.
    2. You clearly reference any AI tool used in your bibliography.
  2. Quoting AI-generated content: You may quote an AI-generated response in your work, but only if you:
    1. Clearly reference the AI tool as you would any other source (see below).
    2. Critically evaluate the quoted content for accuracy and reliability within your answer.
    3. Acknowledge its limitations. AI tools are not considered academically reputable sources, in the same way that Wikipedia and other non-peer-reviewed publications are not, due to the inherent limitations of how these tools work.
  3. Lecturer-directed AI use: In some assessments, your lecturer may explicitly direct you to use AI tools as part of the task itself. For example, an assessment that asks you to critically evaluate an AI-generated response. In these cases:
    1. Your lecturer will clearly specify whether, how, and which AI tools may be used.
    2. Any permissions granted apply only to that specific assessment.
  4. As an aide in formatting your bibliography: You are welcome to use LLMs to help with compiling a bibliographic reference list. Although please take care to ensure the references are accurate and reference the specific sources you have used correctly.

Prohibited Uses of AI

You are not permitted to use AI tools in the following ways:

Prohibited use Why it is not permitted
Presenting AI-generated text, music or art as your own work, in whole or in part This constitutes plagiarism
Using AI to write, rewrite, or restructure your answer This undermines the assessment objectives
Using AI to summarise or synthesise material when the task requires you to do so yourself This directly substitutes your own thinking and analysis
Using AI to generate formative feedback on your draft prior to submission unless your lecturer explicitly states otherwise This constitutes collusion under the Academic Misconduct Policy
Using any AI tool without referencing it, even for permitted research purposes Undisclosed use is considered dishonest practice

Note on grammar and style tools: Whilst it isn’t explicitly prohibited to use AI to correct grammar, style, punctuation or clarity, we do advise against this. AI, being a statistical model, will tend towards the average. Meaning it will homogenise your writing and bend it in the direction of the generic. It is much more engaging and useful in life to be able to write with personality, such that your arguments are clear and land well with your audience, and such that they are retained in your readers' memory.

However, if you lecturer explicity prohibits the use of AI for such purposes, they will clearly communicate this to you in advance.

How to Reference AI Tools

Any permitted use of an AI tool must be referenced in your bibliography. Failing to do so, even for minor or research-only use, is considered a breach of this policy. You should include at least a statement of acknowledgment to explain which AI tool you used and for what specific purpose, in any assessment that you used AI.

This statement should be written in complete sentences and include the following information:

  • Name and version of the generative AI tool e.g. Copilot, ChatGPT-5 
  • Publisher (name of company that provides the AI system) e.g. Microsoft, OpenAI 
  • URL of the AI tool 
  • Brief description (single sentence) of the way in which the tool was used (e.g. summarising notes, generating outlines)
  • Confirmation that the work is your own 

Example:

I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT-5 (OpenAI, https://chatgpt.com) to generate an outline for background study. I confirm that no content generated by AI has been presented as my own work. 

If your lecturer has doubts about your AI use, they may further request: 

  • The prompt(s) used to generate a response in the AI system.
  • The date the output was generated.
  • The output obtained (e.g. a ‘link to chat’ if ChatGPT, or a compilation of all output generated as an appendix).
  • How the output was changed for use or incorporation into a piece of work (e.g. a tracked-changes document or a descriptive paragraph).

Further Information

For more information, see the CLCC Undergraduate Student Handbook. For academic misconduct definitions and procedures, see the Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedure.

If in doubt, ask your lecturer before using any AI tool in connection with your assessment.