Representing words, images, code, or any other work as your own that was actually generated by generative artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT) is plagiarism. Different professors and colleges may have different policies around when and how to use AI in specific classes or contexts, but claiming AI-generated work as your own is plagiarism.

Example of Claiming AI-Generated Work as Your Own

Original Source

"The hero’s journey is a narrative framework that follows a protagonist through stages of departure, initiation, and return, often used in literature and film to show character growth." (Generated using ChatGPT in a writing assignment prompt)

Plagiarized Example

In their paper, the student copies the sentence above directly into their introduction without editing or citing it, and submits the paper as entirely their own work.

Why is this plagiarism?

Even though the student didn’t copy from another human author, they are misrepresenting AI-generated content as their own original thinking and writing. Using tools like ChatGPT without acknowledgment, when not explicitly allowed, is a form of academic dishonesty.

What should they have done instead?

According to a summary I generated using ChatGPT, “The hero’s journey is a narrative framework that follows a protagonist through stages of departure, initiation, and return” (ChatGPT, OpenAI, 2024). I used this as a starting point for my analysis of Frodo’s journey in The Lord of the Rings.

In this example, the student acknowledges the use of AI as a source and the content is quoted and cited clearly. The student then builds on the idea rather than relying on AI to do the thinking or analysis for them.