AI is changing the way we learn and work. Whether you're brainstorming ideas for a paper, checking your grammar, or looking for help understanding a tough reading, AI tools can support your learning in new ways. However, using them the wrong way--like having AI do your work for you--can get you into serious trouble.
That's why it's important to understand both the benefits and the boundaries of AI use in an academic setting.
Academic integrity means being honest, responsible, and fair in your coursework. This includes:
Using AI without thinking carefully can put your academic integrity at risk--especially if you don't tell your instructor or if you turn in AI-generated work as your own.
AI tools can be incredibly helpful when used to:
But problems arise when you use AI to:
Knowing where the line is can help youa void accidental plagiarism or dishonesty.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, refers to computer programs that can perform tasks that typically require human thinking--like answering questions, recognizing patterns, or making suggestions. You've probably already used some basic forms of AI without even realizing it. Tools like spellcheckers or Grammarly use narrow AI; they follow specific rules to catch grammar or spelling mistakes and suggest improvements. These tools are helpful, but they don't create new content from scratch.
Now we're seeing more advanced AI tools, especially something called Generative AI or GenAI. These are programs that can generate text, images, music, code, and more--based on the prompts you give them. ChatGPT, DALL-E, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini are examples of GenAI tools. They don't get correct your work--they create new things like drafts, summaries, or artwork, by predicting what should come next based on large datasets they were trained on.
This means GenAI can feel a lot like talking to a real person--but it's important to remember:
Understanding these differences will help you use AI tools more wisely and avoid misusing them in your work.
| Feature | Traditional AI Tools (e.g. Spellchecker, Grammarly) |
Generative AI (GenAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Main Function | Corrects or suggests based on a set of rules | Generates original content based on prompts |
| Create New Content? | No | Yes |
| Requires Detailed Prompts? | No | Yes |
| Understands Meaning? | Limited understanding (rule-based) | No real understanding--predictive only. |
| Common Tools | Spellcheckers, Grammarly, Auto-correct | ChatGPT. DALL-E, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, |
| Examples of use in coursework | Fixing grammar, spelling, sentence clarity | Drafting outlines, brainstorming, summarizing texts |
| Risk of Inaccuracy | Low | Moderate to high |
| Requires Citation? | Usually no (but check your instructor's policy) | Yes--if content is used in your work |