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Artificial Intelligence (AI) & AI Literacy

Your quick guide to all things related to artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and the ethics of using GenAI in higher education

Is Using AI Cheating?

While there isn’t currently a university-wide policy on AI usage, students should always check with their instructor on using AI or AI-related tools in their class and on assignments. Even if the professor encourages its use in their course, make sure that their syllabus has a written statement or policy regarding AI in their classroom. If not, verify with them and confirm how and when to utilize the software(s). It is best to refer to UMBC’s Policy and Procedures page for academic conduct if you are unsure: 

It is not recommended to completely rely on AI software such as ChatGPT, Codex, and others to complete an assignment. Students should keep in mind that any AI tools used on their work, projects, essays, etc. need to be acknowledged and reported to their instructors. 

The following video from the University of British Columbia shares useful tips on determining and evaluating the accuracy of information produced by GenAI:

Citing AI

The AOK Library also has a LibGuide on plagiarism and the importance of citing. It is crucial to cite AI whenever you have used it as a reference (i.e., quoting a response from ChatGPT or other GenAI tools), or if it has contributed in any way to your work–whether in writing assignments, creating artwork, or in coding software. Citations generated by AI should not be used in your own work(s), nor should they be listed as a reference. Using AI to cite has been known to create inaccurate citations, or even hallucinate them, so it is best to follow the guidelines listed above rather than relying on AI software to provide citations.

Additional References

American Psychological Association. (2023, August). APA publishing policieshttps://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/resources/publishing-policies?tab=4

Committee on Publication Ethics. (2024). Authorship and AI tools. Publication Ethics. https://publicationethics.org/guidance/cope-position/authorship-and-ai-tools

Flaherty, C. (2025, May 20). Ai and threats to academic integrity: what to do. Inside Higher Edhttps://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/academics/2025/05/20/experts-weigh-everyone-cheating-college#

Gaur, M. G. (2025, April 17). Popular AIs head-to-head: openai beats deepseek on sentence-level reasoning. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/popular-ais-head-to-head-openai-beats-deepseek-on-sentence-level-reasoning-249109

McAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). How to cite ChatGPT. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

Modern Language Association of America. (2023, April 12). How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?. MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/

PMLA. (2025). Submitting manuscripts to PMLA. Modern Language Association. https://www.mla.org/Publications/Journals/PMLA/Submitting-Manuscripts-to-PMLA