Portland State University AI Policy

Portland State University understands that artificial intelligence (AI) brings both opportunities and risks to student learning. Expectations for the acceptable use of AI in a course are determined by the instructor and may differ from class to class. Students should check with their instructors and read the syllabi to learn to what extent AI tools can be used in their coursework.

Below, you will find three general student usage categories for AI tools and an example syllabus statement for each. This is not an exhaustive list, but we hope it will help you begin creating statements of your own.

Generative AI tools are generally allowed with attribution

In this course, those students who wish to utilize generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are encouraged to do so. AI tools may be employed to brainstorm assignments or projects or to refine pre-existing work. However, to uphold scholarly standards, students are required to cite any AI-generated material that contributes to their work, including in-text citations, quotations, and references. The generation of content through AI without appropriate attribution constitutes academic misconduct.

Some use of generative AI permitted under specific circumstances of with explicit permission

Throughout this course, we may employ Generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Clear guidelines will be provided regarding when, where, and how these tools may be utilized along with instructions for proper attribution. Any usage outside of these specified permissions constitutes a violation of PSU’s Academic Integrity Guidelines.

No use of generative AI is permitted

Intellectual integrity forms the bedrock of academic communities and serves as the cornerstone for impartial evaluation of your work. All coursework completed and/or submitted for this course must represent your original work and adhere to the University’s Academic Integrity Guidelines. Unauthorized collaboration or the use of ChatGPT or any other generative AI applications is strictly prohibited.

Portland State University understands that artificial intelligence (AI) brings both opportunities and risks to student learning. Expectations for the acceptable use of AI in a course are determined by the instructor and may differ from class to class. Students should check with their instructors and read the syllabi to learn to what extent AI tools can be used in their coursework.

Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

* cheating on an exam

We believe that navigating an AI-augmented world is a critical 21st-century skill. PSU is committed to fostering AI literacy across the institution, empowering students, faculty, and staff to understand the capabilities, appropriate applications, limitations, and ethical implications of these technologies.

Portland State University understands that artificial intelligence (AI) brings both opportunities and risks to student learning.

The resources below can help students understand how to use AI responsibly and in line with PSU’s commitment to promoting critical thinking, creativity, and inclusivity in an ever-changing digital world.

PSU upholds academic integrity and expects students to use AI tools responsibly and ethically.

Academic authorship signifies a substantial intellectual contribution and accountability for research content. While AI models excel in specific tasks like text generation and data analysis, they lack the necessary depth of understanding and critical judgment expected of authors.

Yes, GenAI can be a valuable tool for graduate students working on their theses and dissertations. However, responsible and ethical use demands transparency. You must disclose AI utilization clearly and informatively, noting how it has contributed to your work.

While generative AI can streamline the grant-writing process, remember that responsible use is always paramount. While AI excels at producing grammatically flawless text, it may require your guiding hand to capture the creativity and originality often sought in winning proposals. Additionally, AI-generated text can sometimes contain factual inaccuracies or hidden biases, necessitating a thorough human review and editing before submission.

For faculty and researchers, the Office of Research and Graduate Studies offers guidance on incorporating AI into research practices. These resources help ensure that AI’s potential is harnessed responsibly, with attention to ethical standards, data privacy, and academic rigor. PSU supports research that uses AI as a tool for innovation while maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards.

Faculty can access support for navigating AI's complex role in research, from data management to transparency in research findings.

The impressive capabilities of generative AI tools like ChatGPT come with a crucial responsibility: safeguarding sensitive and confidential information. These tools process data extensively, requiring the implementation of robust safeguards for research integrity and individual privacy. Here's how you can secure your data:

* Shield confidential data: Avoid feeding AI tools with personal identification numbers (PINs), financial information, health records, intellectual property, unpublished research data, or any other legally restricted data.

* Share minimal data: Provide only the essential data required for the specific task, avoiding unnecessary exposure of sensitive information. Ask yourself, "Does the AI tool need this specific piece of data to complete its task?"

* Review AI outputs: Carefully review AI-generated content before publication or sharing to ensure accuracy, originality, and absence of sensitive information. Look for any unintentional confidential data leaks or biases within the generated text.

Faculty and students involved in research at PSU are encouraged to explore AI’s potential while adhering to ethical standards. This guide provides an overview of best practices for integrating AI in research, emphasizing transparency, privacy, and the importance of professional integrity.

While generative AI can streamline the grant-writing process, remember that responsible use is always paramount. While AI excels at producing grammatically flawless text, it may require your guiding hand to capture the creativity and originality often sought in winning proposals. Additionally, AI-generated text can sometimes contain factual inaccuracies or hidden biases, necessitating a thorough human review and editing before submission.

Before diving into AI-powered grant writing, take the time to review the target agency's policies. Some agencies may have specific guidelines or limitations regarding AI tools.

The Common Rule defines research as "a systematic investigation to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge." In the context of AI, data collection can fall under this definition when it directly aims to generate new knowledge, including insights about AI itself or its applications.

Trust is built on openness. We expect transparency from all members of our community regarding the use of AI in academic and professional work. This includes acknowledging AI's role in the generative process and being forthcoming about how these tools are utilized in administrative decision-making.

In this course, those students who wish to utilize generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are encouraged to do so. AI tools may be employed to brainstorm assignments or projects or to refine pre-existing work. However, to uphold scholarly standards, students are required to cite any AI-generated material that contributes to their work, including in-text citations, quotations, and references. The generation of content through AI without appropriate attribution constitutes academic misconduct.

When possible, we recommend using the phrase “generative AI” or “generative artificial intelligence” in your syllabus rather than calling out a specific tool (e.g. “ChatGPT”). If you choose to include some version of an example below that permits student use of Generative AI tools, also consider adding the Library’s suggested citation formats when using generative AI tools in academic work.

Yes, GenAI can be a valuable tool for graduate students working on their theses and dissertations. However, responsible and ethical use demands transparency. You must disclose AI utilization clearly and informatively, noting how it has contributed to your work.

The generation of content through AI without appropriate attribution constitutes academic misconduct.

Any usage outside of these specified permissions constitutes a violation of PSU’s Academic Integrity Guidelines.

Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

* submitting work for credit that was not the student’s own original work (including plagiarism and paraphrasing without citing sources)

If you are unsure of whether or not academic misconduct has occurred, the Student Conduct office is available for a consultation, which may involve reviewing student-submitted material or the situation to determine if it violates any aspect of the code and if a complaint should be submitted.

In alignment with the principles of academic freedom, faculty have the autonomy to determine if and how AI tools are integrated into their teaching and research. We encourage a culture of experimentation and exploration of ways AI can improve learning and student success rather than one of restriction.

Trust is built on openness. We expect transparency from all members of our community regarding the use of AI in academic and professional work. This includes acknowledging AI's role in the generative process and being forthcoming about how these tools are utilized in administrative decision-making.

PSU’s Office of Academic Innovation (OAI) provides specialized support for faculty integrating AI into their teaching. Contact OAI for consultations, workshops, and personalized guidance.

We acknowledge that AI-generated content has a high-probability of using copyrighted materials, and will ensure all content is reviewed by a human for factual accuracy and to avoid plagiarism or misinformation.

PSU provides faculty, staff, and students with access to a suite of generative AI tools, including Google’s Gemini and NotebookLM products. When using or procuring AI tools, please be sure to follow PSU’s guidelines and policies, see below for more information.

OIT is pleased to announce that Google is now providing access to its Generative AI products, Gemini and NotebookLM, with additional data and privacy protections for education customers. Beginning in January 2025, PSU faculty, staff, and students will have access to the baseline version of Gemini and NotebookLM. This means that if you are logged into your PSU account, Google will not use the data and documents entered into these services to train the Gemini's language model or for human review.

By comparison, most free versions of Generative AI tools state that your data may be used for this purpose, which means that your information may not remain private.

When you're not sure how an LLM might integrate the data provided to it, consider your interaction with it to be a public interaction: don't share any information you wouldn't put on a poster in a public building.

When working with private data about people, institutions, or which is otherwise confidential, it's very important to consider the rights of the affected parties and your obligations to them. Unless an agent of the university (such as an employee or contracted professional) is completely in control of the tool (whether it's an LLM or other software tool), it is likely that it is not appropriate to share restricted or confidential (non-public) data.

For example, a personal ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini account would not be an appropriate place to ask the tool questions related to confidential or restricted information.

It is a direct violation of PSU's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to transfer confidential or restricted university data to a third-party service without an appropriate contract in place. Confidential or restricted data would include anything that isn't appropriate, or ready, to share publicly, and using an unvetted AI note-taker for meetings requires the transfer of meeting data to an unauthorized third-party.

Portland State University’s AI Working Group embraces responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative tool to enhance teaching, learning, and research. We view AI not as a replacement for human intellect, but as a catalyst for innovation that requires thoughtful, human-centered oversight.

Our approach is informed by PSU’s mission and values and framed by the following guiding principles:

We prioritize "Human-in-the-Loop" practices where critical evaluations, final decisions, and ethical judgments are made by people, not algorithms.

PSU’s Office of Academic Affairs formed a Generative AI Task Force in the Summer of 2023 that transitioned to a Working Group in the Spring of 2024. The cross-functional working group is composed of representatives from across the university, including faculty, a representative of the Faculty Senate Educational Policy Committee, the offices of Academic Innovation and Information Technology, the Office of Global Diversity and Inclusion, Research and Graduate Studies, the Library, and Student Affairs.