Please consult NYU's website for Frequently Asked Questions about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom. There you can find information on NYU's policy as well as some sample statements to use for your sylalbus. We strongly recommend including an explicit statement regarding the use of AI in your class (and reviewing it with students on day one!) so that you and students are on the same page in advance of the semester.
How should I communicate preferences for AI use to my students?
Communicating your expectations is vital because students do not have default assumptions about AI. A course is an intersection of faculty expectations and student effort; explaining whether and how AI tools can be part of the students work in your course can help direct them towards appropriate uses.
Any communication from you should also tell students how they should acknowledge AI use in their assignments. Your expectations should be included in your syllabus and ideally mentioned early in class.
The examples below cover a range of syllabus language to explain student use of AI:
Not permitted
You can only learn from work you actually do. Unless otherwise stated, you should not use generative AI tools to create any part of an assignment in this course; every submission should be entirely your work. (example from an NYU course)
This course assumes that work submitted by students – all process work, drafts, brainstorming artifacts, final works – will be generated by the students themselves, working individually or in groups as directed by class assignment instructions. As will any other class work generated by anyone other than the students (by other students, by a company, or by using generative AI tools), use can be a violation of Academic Integrity policy. (adapted example from University of Texas, Austin)
With Prior Permission
Students are only allowed to use AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Dall-E 2, on assignments in this course with advance permission. Students must submit a written request with an explanation of how they will use a particular tool in their assignment, and use is not permitted without written approval. If you are unclear if something is an AI tool, please check with your instructor. (adapted example from University of Chicago)
Welcome with Attribution
You are welcome/ expected to use generative A Itools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e,etc.) in this class as doing so aligns with the course learning goal [insert course learning goal]. You are responsible for the information submitted based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited. For example, [insert citation style for your discipline. NYU libraries guidance can be found here.] (adapted example from Temple University)
Welcome on Specific Projects
Where noted, you are allowed to use generative AI tools for assignments or activities. However, assignments created with AI should not exceed 25% of the overall work, and you must identify the portions where you used AI tools, and describe how you used them. Note that you are responsible for all parts of an assignment; if an AI tool provides incorrect information, it is your responsibility to find and fix the error before submitting. Note too that overreliance on AI can hinder independent thinking and creativity. (example from an NYU course)
Use of ChatGPT (or other similar tools that generate text) is allowed in this class for specific assignments only. When use of the tool is allowed, it will be explicitly noted in the assignment directions. If you utilize ChatGPT for any part of the assignment (from idea generation to text creation to text editing), you must properly cite ChatGPT. Violations can result in failure of the assignment or failure of the course and a notation on your transcript. (example adapted from University of Vermont)
There are many other examples of syllabus statements here. Additionally, please consult this Generative AI Resource Collection for an up to date list of NYU resources.