AI Tools and Resources

Plagiarism is defined as the act of using someone else's work or ideas without giving proper credit or attribution.  Since chatbots generate new text in response to prompts, using material from GAI could be considered more like ghost writing than plagiarism.  The use of GAI for coursework, if not sanctioned by the instructor, would be considered cheating whether or not it was considered plagiarism.

Some scholars have proposed modifying the definition of plagiarism to focus less on the concept of theft and more on the intentional or careless lack of acknowledging one's sources.  This new way of thinking of plagiarism would incorporate ghost writing, including text generated by AI, and the use paper mills and text spinners.

note:  image generated by Bing Image Generator

Per USF Policy, the use of any tool or assistive technology for the completion of coursework must be authorized by your instructor first. Faculty may indicate in their syllabus whether and how generative AI can be used in class.

Students writing theses and dissertations should obtain permissions from their entire committee before using GAI in the preparation of their electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD).

If you choose to use ChatGPT or some other generative AI technology for writing, be sure you are transparent about your use of it with your teachers, publishers, and audience. The ethical use of generative AI depends on the context in which it is being used and the expectations of the individuals or organizations involved.