If you have a question for the Library about AI, and you are unable to find the answer within this guide, please email asklibrary@tstc.edu. We will do our best to answer your question and / or update this guide with further information.
That depends on your instructor, the course, and how you're using AI.
You should never submit work that has been wholly generated by AI in place of your own original work (unless your instructor has specifically requested you do so, although this would be extremely rare). This is considered cheating and will be treated in the same way by TSTC as if you had contracted a third party to complete your coursework for you.
Visit our AI for Students Guide to find Departmental AI policies that have been disclosed to Library Services.
Using AI becomes cheating when you:
These actions violate academic integrity and can lead to serious consequences.
Visit our Responsible & ethical use of AI page for more information.
Sometimes--yes. Instructors may use AI-detection tools, or they may notice incosistencies in writing style, tone, or accuracy. Even when dectection tools aren't used, many instructors can spot the difference between your authentic voice and a generated AI response.
The short answer is--you usually don't.
Most AI tools like ChatGPT were trained on large, mixed datasets from books, websites, and online forums. The training data isn't always made public, and it often doesn't include up-to-date or peer-reviewed academic sources. Most academic quality research is behind paywalls and cannot be included into the datasets due to copyright law.
Bias means the AI's responses may favor certain ideas or reflect social, cultural, or political assumptions from the data it was trained on. AI is not neutral--it reflects the internet, and the internet isn't always fair or accurate.
Why this matters: If you're researching a sensitive topic, or using AI to explain historical, cultural, or political issues, the results might leave out key perspectives--or reinforce harmful beliefs or viewpoints.
"Hallucinations" happen when an AI tool makes up something that sounds real--but isn't. For example:
Always double-check AI-generated facts, citations, and sources. When possible, use library databases to confirm.
To stay on the safe side:
We explain how to do this on the Citing AI tools page.
Please see the page How to cite AI tools for guidance on how to cite the output of an AI tool, as well as how to formally acknowledge the use of AI tools in the creation of your coursework.
The majority of AI tool suppliers offer both a free and a paid version of their software, creating inequity in access; if you don't have a subscription, you can be missing out on some key capabilities. TSTC Library Services does not endorse paying for any AI tool.
Great question. Even if AI can help generate content, writing is still a skill employers care deeply about--especially in technical fields.
Here's why:
In other words, writing isn't just about turning in a paper--its's about sharpening the skills you'll use every day in your future career.
You're not alone. If you're ever unsure:
When in doubt, ask. It's always better to clarify than to guess.