Charlie has been assigned a paraphrasing task in one of his classes. He puts the prompt into generative AI software (e.g. ChatGPT) and asks it to create a paraphrase. Charlie then copies that output and submits it to the instructor for marking.

According to the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, is Charlie's behaviour acceptable or is this academic misconduct?

Question

Charlie has been assigned a paraphrasing task in one of his classes. He puts the prompt into generative AI software (e.g. ChatGPT) and asks it to create a paraphrase. Charlie then copies that output and submits it to the instructor for marking.

According to the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, is Charlie's behaviour acceptable or is this academic misconduct?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When evaluating Charlie's action, we must anchor the analysis in the idea of academic integrity and the expectations set by codes of conduct.
Option 1: 'This is misconduct' — This choice correctly identifies the issue. Using a generative AI to paraphrase a prompt and then submitting the AI's output as Charlie's own work constitutes presenting someone else’s generated work as personal effort. Even if the prompt is paraphrased, the underlying work produced by the AI is not Charlie’s original creation, and without proper attribution or disclosure, this falls under plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
Option 2: 'This is acceptable behaviour' — This is incorrect. Claiming acceptability would imply that passing off AI-generated text as one’s own is permissible, which contradicts typical Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. Most academic integrity policies require students to present their own work or to clearly acknowledge external assistance, and uncredited AI-generated material is generally treated as misconduct because it misrepresents authorship and undermines the learning process.
Additional nuance: Some programs permit the use of AI tools with explicit disclosure or under instructor guidelines; if Charlie had not followed those guidelines or failed to cite the AI contribution, the behavior still aligns with misconduct under standard academic integrity standards. Therefore, the reasoning supports labeling the action as misconduct rather than acceptable practice.

ISP010H5 F LEC9999 Unit 1: Academic Integrity Quiz

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