What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the act of using another person鈥檚 work, words or ideas without appropriate acknowledgement and presenting them as your own. Plagiarism can occur in a variety of forms, including:
- Submitting another person鈥檚 work as your own.
- Paraphrasing another person鈥檚 ideas without giving them proper credit.
- Copying text directly from a source without citing it.
- Using media, such as images, videos or music, without permission or attribution.
- Self-plagiarism, which involves reusing your own previous work without permission or disclosure.
What is AI-Generated Content?
Quite simply, AI-generated content is content that is created by artificial intelligence systems instead of humans directly. These systems use machine learning models that are trained on large data sets to generate human-like responses. is currently the most used generative AI tool.
Is AI Plagiarism?
This is an excellent question, and the answer is: it depends! While AI-generated content is not automatically plagiarism, it can turn into plagiarism based on how it is used. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to help determine when AI may be considered plagiarism and when AI is not plagiarism.
When Using AI Might Be Considered Plagiarism
- Was the AI-generated work copied from existing material that was copyrighted?
- Did the person submit the AI-generated content as their own?
- Did someone neglect to cite their AI sources?
When AI is Not Plagiarism
- Was the content originally generated by the AI tool and not copied from another source?
- Did the person disclose that the content was AI-generated?
- Did someone use AI as a starting point to brainstorm and generate ideas?
What Do Colleges and Universities Say about AI and Plagiarism?
Most colleges and universities are taking a nuanced and evolving approach to AI and plagiarism, and many institutions are updating their academic integrity policies to address AI-generated content. For example, at 番茄视频 (ACE), students, faculty, staff and administrators embrace AI and recognize its potential to enhance teaching and learning experiences. As a result, ACE has developed a that encourage the responsible use of AI.
Can Schools Tell if You Used AI?
This is another terrific question, and once again, the answer is: it depends! Teachers and schools can sometimes tell if a student has used AI, but it is not always obvious or straightforward. For example, many schools use AI detection tools like , and . These tools analyze patterns in text to estimate whether AI was used. However, it鈥檚 noteworthy that these tools are not 100% reliable, and false positives are common.
Also, sometimes teachers may believe a student is plagiarizing with AI due to perceived differences in the student鈥檚 writing style. For example, teachers may observe sudden improvements in vocabulary and grammar, or unusual phrasing or tone in the student鈥檚 writing. However, most of the time, teachers and schools are unable to definitively prove if AI was used.
Ethical Use of AI: Best Practices
As AI becomes a more essential part of education, it will be increasingly important for students to be aware of best practices to ensure the ethical use of this technology. Ultimately, for AI use to be ethical, it must be used in ways that are transparent, accurate and that protect your privacy.
- Transparent 鈥� It鈥檚 important to realize that educational institutions (and individual instructors) differ in their AI policies. While some teachers and institutions allow the use of AI with proper citation, others may have stricter rules. As ACE suggests in its , students should check with their instructor if they are unsure about whether AI use is permitted.
- Accurate 鈥� AI can sometimes provide inaccurate information. As a best practice, students should always verify the information AI produces with credible sources.
- Protect Your Privacy 鈥� It is critical that you are careful about sharing personal information with AI tools. For example, you should avoid using sensitive data such as your name, student ID, address or financial information.
Legal and Copyright Issues with AI Content
Students should be aware of legal and copyright issues to protect their academic integrity and avoid unintentional violations. For example, it is important to know that content that is AI-generated is not copyright-protected. This means that if a student submits something generated by AI as their own, they do not legally own the rights to it. As a result, it could be considered academic dishonesty if not properly disclosed.
Furthermore, even if AI content isn鈥檛 copyrighted, it can still be considered plagiarism if submitted as your own work without proper disclosure. Students should ensure that they are aware of their institution鈥檚 academic integrity policies.
Real-World Cases Involving AI Plagiarism or Copyright Issues
In recent years, there have been many notable real-world cases involving AI-related plagiarism or copyright issues. A recent indicated that nearly 90% of students admitted to using ChatGPT for their homework. Of course, while not all AI use constitutes plagiarism, many educators have raised concerns about students submitting AI-generated work as their own.
For instance, as highlighted in this report, some professors reported catching students turning in essays or assignments that were clearly written by AI, leading to disciplinary actions. One professor from Weber State University even stated that ChatGPT is 鈥渢he greatest cheating tool ever invented.鈥�
In the media and publishing world, there have been numerous high-profile lawsuits. For example, Sarah Silverman and other artists sued OpenAI in 2023, claiming that their copyrighted works were being used without their permission to train AI models. Similarly, the New York Times filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI in 2023, alleging that their articles were used to train AI systems, which then generated content that competed with the Times鈥� own reporting.
These are still ongoing but highlight the ethical and legal complexities of using AI-generated content in educational professional settings.
The Future of Plagiarism and AI in Education
The future of plagiarism and AI in education is evolving at a rapid pace, which presents both opportunities and challenges. AI is undoubtedly transforming education, and institutions are attempting to update their academic integrity policies to address AI use. Tools like Turnitin are also evolving to detect AI-generated content more accurately, not just by identifying patterns in text, but by analyzing writing style consistency and originality.
One prediction for the future is that we may be entering a 鈥減ostplagiarism鈥� era, where the focus shifts from detecting copied content to fostering transparent, ethical and creative use of AI tools. As one expert argues in this International Journal for Educational Integrity , in the future, students will be encouraged to use AI as a collaboration tool.
This perspective aligns with my hope for the future. In fact, in addition to my role at ACE, I serve on an external that is dedicated to improving education through the responsible and collaborative use of AI.
FAQs About AI and Plagiarism
Can teachers detect if I use ChatGPT?
Yes, with tools like GPTZero or Turnitin AI detection.
Is AI content considered original writing?
It depends 鈥� it’s 鈥渘ew鈥� text, but ideas may be recycled.
Is using AI to help write cheating?
It鈥檚 cheating if you鈥檙e hiding it or breaking rules.
Do I have to cite AI like a source?
Yes 鈥� especially in academic or professional settings.
