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Using AI Tools in Coursework: What Universities Allow, How to Disclose It and How to Cite It

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In short

  • Rules differ by university, course and even assignment: check the brief first.
  • If AI use is allowed, it usually has to be disclosed, and the output checked.
  • Keep a record: tool, version, date, prompts and how you used the output.
  • APA, MLA and Chicago each have guidance on citing AI; check the current version.

Generative AI tools are now part of student life, and universities have moved from emergency bans to detailed policies. The result is that the same use of the same tool can be fine in one module and misconduct in another. Here is how to stay on the right side of the line.

How universities approach AI

In July 2023 the 24 Russell Group universities in the UK published five shared principles on generative AI in education. Rather than banning the tools, they committed to help students and staff become "AI-literate", to equip staff to guide appropriate use, to adapt teaching and assessment to incorporate ethical use, to uphold academic rigour and integrity, and to share best practice as the technology evolves. Universities elsewhere have taken similar approaches, but the detail is set locally.

In practice, most institutions now classify assessments into categories, for example:

  • No AI: the work must be entirely your own (common for exams and assessments of core skills).
  • Limited AI: specific uses are allowed, such as brainstorming or checking grammar, but not generating text you submit.
  • AI encouraged: using the tool is part of the task, with disclosure.

The labels vary; what matters is what your assignment says.

Five questions to check before using AI

  1. What does the assignment brief or module handbook say about AI?
  2. What does the university's academic integrity policy say, and has it been updated this year?
  3. Which uses are allowed: ideas, outlining, feedback, grammar, code, translation?
  4. How must use be declared: a statement, an appendix with prompts, a citation?
  5. Is any tool explicitly banned, including paraphrasing tools and "humanisers"?

If anything is unclear, ask your tutor in writing before you start. "I didn't know" rarely works as a defence.

Keep a record of your use

Whenever you use an AI tool for coursework, note the tool and version, the date, your prompts, and what you did with the output. Some universities ask for this as an appendix; even when they do not, it protects you if questions arise. It also helps you to verify the output: chatbots can produce confident errors and references to sources that do not exist, so every fact and reference must be checked against the original (see finding and evaluating sources).

How to cite AI output

Citation guidance for AI has been evolving, so check the current version of your style guide before submitting.

APA

APA's 2023 guidance treated the tool's developer as the author, with the version and a description in brackets, for example: OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat, cited in text as (OpenAI, 2023), with the prompt described in your text and long exchanges placed in an appendix. APA published updated guidance on generative AI in September 2025 and now keeps the 2023 post for archival purposes, so follow the current page on apastyle.apa.org.

MLA

The MLA Style Center recommends not treating the AI tool as an author. The prompt description goes in the "title of source" position, the tool is the container, followed by the version, the company, the date and the URL. Its example: "Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald" prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat. MLA has since published revised guidance (August 2025); check it for current wording.

Chicago

Chicago generally cites AI-generated text in a note rather than the bibliography, naming the tool, its developer and the date, for example: Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, July 5, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/chat. If the prompt is not in your text, it can go in the note, and edited output should be acknowledged ("edited for style and accuracy"). Check the current edition of the manual or your library's Chicago guide for the exact form.

Disclosure statements

Where a statement is required, keep it factual: "I used [tool, version] on [date] to [purpose, e.g. suggest counterarguments to my thesis]. I reviewed the suggestions and wrote all submitted text myself." Our APA, MLA and Chicago guide covers the rest of your reference list.

Uses that are usually safe, and uses that usually are not

  • Usually acceptable where AI is permitted: explaining a concept you then check in course materials; generating practice questions for revision; suggesting objections to test your argument.
  • Usually misconduct: submitting AI-generated text as your own; using paraphrasing tools to disguise a source (see paraphrasing vs plagiarism); inventing data or references.

Frequently asked questions

Can AI-detection software prove I used AI? Detection tools give probabilities, not proof, and universities generally say they should not be used as the sole evidence. Your best protection is your own record: drafts, notes and, where AI use was allowed, the log of what you used and how.

Is a grammar checker "AI"? Many writing assistants now include generative features that rewrite sentences. Check whether your course treats them as permitted proofreading or as AI generation, and declare them if required.

Can I use AI to translate my essay? Usually only if your course explicitly allows it, because translation produces text you did not write in the submission language. Ask first.

A note on integrity

The rules belong to your institution, and they change. Read the current policy, follow your assignment brief, declare what you used, and when in doubt ask. Writing centres can help you use AI as a study aid without crossing the line.

Sources

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