27 Why would you want to use GenAI in your academic work?
Always check in with your instructor about GenAI use
The video above has essentially the same content as the text below.
If you are completing academic work, you need check in with your instructor, through a syllabus statement or a conversation, about what is appropriate and ethical use of GenAI in the course.
Your instructor has the final word on what you can use GenAI for in your assignments and other coursework.
Typical examples of generally appropriate* academic use include
- Brainstorming ideas – as a starting point, followed by human development of a research question.
- Summarizing long texts for initial understanding, not to substitute reading the actual text.
- Generating outlines to structure thoughts, not as a complete draft.
- Checking grammar, spelling or tone similar to traditional tools you can find in word processing software.
- Assisting with coding such as debugging, generating snippets, and understanding the code.
- Supporting data analysis if you understand the methods and understand how to interpret the results.*While these are examples, it is important that you first learn about what is allowed in your course before using a GenAI tool.
Typical examples of inappropriate academic use include
- Using AI in your coursework in a manner that doesn’t match what your instructor has allowed.
- Submitting AI-generated content as your own original work (plagiarism).
- Uploading materials produced by others including your instructor’s or licensed materials to GenAI unless you have explicit permission or the material is covered under a known exemption or license. It is important to always following University of Minnesota guidelines for appropriate use of generative AI tools.
- Using GenAI to write essays, papers, or code without significant human (meaning you!) contribution and understanding.
- Generating responses for assignments, exams, or quizzes.
- Fabricating data or sources with GenAI.
- Misrepresenting GenAI’s role in your work.
There is always some nuance or some “it depends” to any scenario. Review the following scenarios and answer the questions about appropriate use for learning.
