University of Aberdeen AI Policy

The University expects that all students undertake their

studies with integrity and submit assessments for grading

that have been prepared by themselves.

Ensure you work independently on all

individual formative and summative

assessments.

The Court is invited to approve an amendment to the Code of Practice on Student Discipline

(Academic) for Academic Year 2023/2024, which states that the unauthorized /

unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools will be treated as a form of plagiarism

and will therefore be dealt with in the same way as plagiarism/collusion.

“Plagiarism through the use of artificial intelligence tools is defined as the unauthorised or

unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools to generate content for work submitted for

assessment.”

Complete all your academic courses

and assessments honestly.

The Court is invited to approve an amendment to the Code of Practice on Student Discipline

(Academic) for Academic Year 2023/2024, which states that the unauthorized /

unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools will be treated as a form of plagiarism

and will therefore be dealt with in the same way as plagiarism/collusion.

“Plagiarism through the use of artificial intelligence tools is defined as the unauthorised or

unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools to generate content for work submitted for

assessment.”

Reference and cite appropriately sources

(e.g., tables, figures and images) used in

assessments and other learning activities,

including the use of Generative Artificial

Intelligence (GenAI) tools e.g., ChatGPT.

• Generative tools, such as jenni.ai, perplexity.ai, dall-e-2.ai, GitHub Co-Pilot, ChatGPT

4.2.1. Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can perform a wide range of language-related tasks well,

such as translation, summarising, writing an essay, answering a question, producing “human-like” responses. These tools can also assist with coding tasks by providing code snippets and

examples in various programming languages. ChatGPT, and similar applications could,

therefore, be used by students to generate content that will be submitted for assessment.

The Court is invited to approve an amendment to the Code of Practice on Student Discipline

(Academic) for Academic Year 2023/2024, which states that the unauthorized /

unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools will be treated as a form of plagiarism

and will therefore be dealt with in the same way as plagiarism/collusion.

Research integrity applies throughout the research life cycle, from the initial idea or concept to the

publication of research outcomes.

These guidelines describe the standards of good research conduct

which are required by the University and which are intended to satisfy the requirements of all funding

bodies. They apply to all individuals involved in research, including visiting researchers, research

support staff, students and research managers and professional support staff.

The onus is on researchers to establish that they have met the highest standard that could reasonably

be expected of them.

Reference and cite appropriately in

your work, acknowledging the work

and ideas of others.

Reference and cite appropriately sources

(e.g., tables, figures and images) used in

assessments and other learning activities,

including the use of Generative Artificial

Intelligence (GenAI) tools e.g., ChatGPT.

The Court is invited to approve an amendment to the Code of Practice on Student Discipline

(Academic) for Academic Year 2023/2024, which states that the unauthorized /

unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools will be treated as a form of plagiarism

and will therefore be dealt with in the same way as plagiarism/collusion.

The unauthorised or unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools in work submitted for

assessment can be regarded as plagiarism because it involves presenting work or ideas

generated by an AI tool as one's own, without proper attribution or acknowledgement of the

source.

The Court is invited to approve an amendment to the Code of Practice on Student Discipline

(Academic) for Academic Year 2023/2024, which states that the unauthorized /

unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools will be treated as a form of plagiarism

and will therefore be dealt with in the same way as plagiarism/collusion.

It is difficult to detect and, as with any other tools used to investigate cases of academic

misconduct, impossible to definitively prove that ChatGPT (or similar tools) have been used in

the generation of text. Some detection tools have been released and others are under

development, but these AI tools are constantly being developed and refined, making detection

a race that cannot be won. It is a more efficient use of time to focus on assessment design than

on detection.

Addressing the use of AI tools, particularly generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, under this

definition ensures that the current Code of Practice on Student Discipline can be utilised to

address unauthorised or unacknowledged use of AI in work submitted for assessment, with

clear guidance on how Schools can deal with it, as set out in Section 4.2 of the Code, “School

dealing with alleged Plagiarism/Collusion by students in taught courses at level 1-5”.

• Where the accusation relates to plagiarism, collusion or contract cheating, put the

thesis through the University’s plagiarism software checker (eg TurnitinUK) and

prepare a report on its findings. The Graduate’s permission is not required for this to

go through the plagiarism software checker;

POLICY AMENDMENTS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS

This paper outlines a proposed amendment to the Code of Practice on Student Discipline

(Academic), for AY 2023-24, to address developments in Artificial Intelligence tools.

Previously

considered/approved by

Quality Assurance Committee 29 March 2023

Senate 19 April 2023

Further consideration/

approval required by

Court 21 June 2023

The Court is invited to approve an amendment to the Code of Practice on Student Discipline

(Academic) for Academic Year 2023/2024, which states that the unauthorized /

unacknowledged use of artificial intelligence tools will be treated as a form of plagiarism

and will therefore be dealt with in the same way as plagiarism/collusion.