Plagiarism & AI

Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of another without crediting the original author, creator, or researcher.  Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional, but all forms of plagiarism are considered an act of academic dishonesty and can carry strict penalties.  The emergence of open-source, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has added an additional layer to the concept of plagiarism.  AI is already embedded in many of the platforms we use each day, but there is a difference between using AI as a tool and using AI as a substitute for original, human thought.  The purpose of taking AP Seminar is to learn and grow--to develop your capacity for making connections and ability to have your own, original thoughts about the world.  Plagiarism and use of AI as a replacement for doing the hard work of growing your human brain will not be tolerated.

Participating teachers shall inform students of the consequences of plagiarism and instruct students to ethically use and acknowledge the ideas and work of others throughout their course work. The student’s individual voice should be clearly evident, and the ideas of others must be acknowledged, attributed, and/or cited.

A student who fails to acknowledge the source or author of any and all information or evidence taken from the work of someone else through citation, attribution or reference in the body of the work, or through a bibliographic entry, will receive a score of 0 on that particular component of the AP Seminar and/or AP Research Performance Task. In AP Seminar, a team of students that fails to properly acknowledge sources or authors on the Team Multimedia Presentation will receive a group score of 0 for that component of the Team Project and Presentation.

A student who incorporates falsified or fabricated information (e.g. evidence, data, sources, and/or authors) will receive a score of 0 on that particular component of the AP Seminar and/or AP Research Performance Task. In AP Seminar, a team of students that incorporates falsified or fabricated information in the Team Multimedia Presentation will receive a group score of 0 for that component of the Team Project and Presentation.

DEFINITION OF GENERATIVE AI IN AP CAPSTONE COURSES

Generative AI tools use predictive technology to produce new text, charts, images, audio, video, etc. This includes not only ChatGPT and similar Large Language Models (LLMs), but also many writing assistants or plug-ins that are built on this or similar AI technologies. Generative AI tools can be contrasted with other AI-based tools that do specific tasks—for example, that help students with grammar, but don’t generate new writing. 

POLICY ON ACCEPTABLE GENERATIVE AI USE IN AP CAPSTONE COURSES

Generative AI tools must be used ethically, responsibly, and intentionally to support student learning, not to bypass it. Accordingly, all performance tasks submitted in AP Seminar and AP Research must be the student’s own work. While students are permitted to use Generative AI tools consistent with this policy, their use is optional and not mandatory. Students can use generative AI tools as optional aids for exploration of potential topics of inquiry, initial searches for sources of information, confirming their understanding of a complex text, or checking their writing for grammar and tone. However, students must read primary and secondary sources directly, perform their own analysis and synthesis of evidence, and make their own choices on how to communicate effectively both in their writing and presentations. It remains the student’s responsibility to engage deeply with credible, valid sources and integrate diverse perspectives when working on the performance tasks. Students must complete interim “checkpoints” with their teacher to demonstrate genuine engagement with the tasks. 

https://www.scribbr.com/plagiarism/types-of-plagiarism/

AP Seminar Course and Exam Description (updated October 2023)