Student use of AI tools

Under ACU’s Student Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy, unauthorised use of artificial intelligence (AI) in work submitted for assessment is a form of academic misconduct.

What sites and tools should students avoid?

• Generative-AI tools such as ChatGPT, Jasper, and some features in Grammarly
• Paraphrasing tools such as QuillBot and Spinbot
• Translation tools that re-write work into English

Students must not use these tools to prepare assessable work unless their use is specifically authorised. If in doubt, students are advised to check their unit outline and seek clarification from their lecturer-in-charge (LIC).

Can students use grammar detection tools?

Using Grammarly or tools like Word's Spelling and Grammar feature to make changes to spelling and grammar, are not considered to be a generative-AI or a paraphrasing tool, therefore can be used.

However, students cannot use the AI function of Grammarly which generates and rewrites text. This function, or any other tool that improves the tone and standard of writing, cannot be used to help students write their assessments. Students should turn off the AI function in Grammarly by navigating to their account settings, selecting ‘Feature customisation’ and switching off the AI settings.

What about Turnitin and AI writing detection?

Last year Turnitin released a tool that assists in detecting text generated by AI, that is not visible to students. Turnitin and ACU advise staff that the AI percentage should be used with caution, and that a positive finding does not automatically mean that academic misconduct has occurred. This is especially true when the indicator is less than 20 per cent. Staff need to carefully review any flagged text and look for other characteristic signs of unauthorised AI use, such as fabricated or inappropriate references.

Support and resources

• FAQ on Turnitin’s AI writing detection tool
• Turnitin AI indicator checklist
• Best practice supporting evidence
• Students can access Academic Skills and Studiosity for assistance with academic writing