Academic Integrity and AI: Using AI Tools For Assignments

If it is discovered you have used AI technology in your assignments in a way that is unacceptable, you may be found guilty of academic misconduct.  There are serious consequences for ākonga who are academically dishonest.  

AI detection tools are developing at a fast rate and may be used to test past assignments.

Many generative AI tools are trained on data that has not been tested for accuracy, misinformation, disinformation or bias, or the information could be out of date.

You must therefore check any information generative AI tools give you with sources that are reliable.  Our advice? Use reliable sources first. If you use AI sources, check the information you find against the CRAAP Test, Rauru Whakarare Framework or SIFT to help you evaluate if it is authoritative and accurate. Be prepared to explain in your assignment or to your kaiako how you know the information from your AI source provides credible evidence.

Large Language Models (LLM) like Chat GPT work like predictive text on your phone.  They provide answers based on data patterns and use predictions to fill any gaps. They are not designed as search tools.  Their function is to generate and create.

Because of the way they work, they will often create information, as in make it up. These are called 'hallucinations" and can include entire sources and references. As said previously, always check the information you find against the CRAAP Test, Rauru Whakarare Framework or SIFT to help you evaluate if it is authoritative and accurate. 

Some tools may be trained on data that is licensed or copyrighted. While there is no clear legislation around generative AI training data yet, good academic practice would be to check how the model you are using is trained.

You also cannot rely on generative AI producing original work.  It can produce work that is copied and is therefore plagiarized.

For more information about the potential harms of generative AI, see this post from the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor.

Our recommendation:  AI Chat (duckduckgo.com). This anonymises your chats, so that your private information is kept private and it doesn't use data for training.

Images provided with permission from Wintec [Academic Integrity website].

Image content reused with permission from Wintec [Academic Integrity website].

AI Tools: How to Ensure Academic Integrity and Avoid Plagiarism            

Be cautious when using Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot to check or improve the quality of your writing for the following reasons:

1. Privacy and security: Anything you input into these AI models may be used for data training or sold to third parties. This means any personal information about yourself or anybody else you have included in your assignment is at risk of being freely available as 'searchable' information or onsold to advertisers. Parts of your work could also be generated as an output to other users of the AI Model.

2. Turnitin AI count: You will get a very high, if not 100% AI count.

3. Paraphrasing risks: Your work must be your own words in your own voice.  It may be very tempting to get AI tools to improve your writing but anything beyond spelling and grammar checks may be considered plagiarism (not your own work).

Tools you can use

1. Use the spelling and grammar checks in Word. Avoid Add-in tools. These writing assistants go beyond spelling and grammar and using them may be considered plagiarism (not your own work).

2. Grammarly is an AI tool for checking spelling and grammar.  See our advice on using Grammarly safely and which tools inside Grammarly to avoid.

Using Grammarly for improving assignments

Please note that you should always check with your kaiako (teacher) that it is ok to use Grammarly to spell check or grammar check your assignments.

Important note for students enrolled in the NZ Certificate in English Language (NZCEL) - You must not use Grammarly or any generative AI tool to produce language that is to be assessed as your own work.

Grammarly is a versatile writing tool. It uses AI to detect areas of your work that need improvement, so it will produce an AI count via Turnitin. So once again we recommend you always check with your kaiako about its use in your assignments.

If you have got permission to use Grammarly from your kaiako, you do not need to reference Grammarly if you use it for spelling and grammar only.

Appropriate use of Grammarly for improving assignments [If usage is approved by your kaiako]

Use Grammarly in the following way to avoid issues around academic misconduct:

1. Turn off automatic suggestions that occur as you write - in other words, complete the first draft of your assignment without any help from Grammarly. To turn off the generative writing functions in Grammarly, refer to the resource Using Grammarly Safely.

2. Save this draft and keep it as raw (untouched) by Grammarly) document that you can produce as proof of your original work if you are interviewed by your kaiako about AI use.

3. Use Grammarly for spelling and grammatical checks only by uploading your document to your Grammarly account.

4. Save the edited version as a separate document to your original one.

Inappropriate use of Grammarly for assignments

You must produce writing that has been written by you and is in your own voice. Grammarly has new AI functionality that if used would produce writing that would not be considered your own.

Grammarly tools to avoid:

• tone changing tools - getting Grammarly to change the tone and style of your writing to "academic" or "formal" language for example.
• any type of paraphrasing tools including English fluency - remember the work must be in your writing, in your voice.
• first draft generation - all drafts must be your own work.
• Grammarly generative AI tool  - this can be used to evaluate your writing or to brainstorm ideas but it must not be used for creating any content for your assignments.

Read the Grammarly privacy policy

If you need more advice about using AI in your assignments

• ask your kaiako / teacher or
• ask at the Library or email library@ara.ac.nz or
• drop in to a Learning Services Quick Questions session.

[Disclaimer: AI technology is rapidly evolving so this information may change in near future to reflect new developments.]

Guidelines on this page are adapted from Wintec Academic Integrity: Using AI in Assignments webpage. Thank you to Merren Tait, AI Librarian, Wintec, for permission to reuse their resources for this page. 

MacCallum K, Parsons D, Mohaghegh M (2024). The Scaffolded AI Literacy (SAIL) Framework for Education. He Rourou. He Rourou.

There are many generative AI tools known as Large Language Models or LLMs.  They include the three LLMs below:

ChatGPT

Hayls World (2023, Apr 1). 10 ChatGPT life hacks. [You tube, 11 mins].

Google Gemini

Howfinity (2024, Apri 6). How to use Google Gemini. [You Tube, 17 mins].

Microsoft Copilot

Howfinity (2024, May 6). How to use Microsoft Copilot. [You tube, 16 mins].

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