Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) appropriately
AI is rapidly transforming the way we live, work and learn. We want to prepare our students for careers where AI capability is increasingly expected. We’re doing this by helping students develop both the practical skills, as well as the judgment to apply it ethically and responsibly.
Sometimes, inappropriate use of AI in your studies can result in a breach of academic integrity, such as plagiarism or ghost writing.
The use of AI tools in your studies will be guided by your program and course requirements – what’s permitted in one course or assessment may not be allowed in another. So, it’s always a good idea to double check your course guide or ask your educator for more information.
When is it okay to use AI tools in my studies?
Depending on your course, AI can support your studies in lots of ways. For example:
- Explaining concepts: ask AI to explain theories, methods, or terminology in simpler words (like a study aid)
- Brainstorming and planning: generating topic ideas, outlines, and question prompts to clarify direction
- Test your knowledge: creating practice questions, flashcards, or case study scenarios to aid revision
- Proofread: get a second pair of eyes over your work to check your spelling, grammar and punctuation
- Admin help: create time‑management plans and checklists to help you prioritise and meet your due dates.
Don’t forget:
- Your course guide is your first stop. AI use varies across courses and assessments, some may ask you not to use it at all. When in doubt, check your course guide or ask your teacher
- Be transparent about how you’ve used AI. This might mean referencing the tools you used, or reflecting on how they shaped your work. See the Library's AI referencing guide for specific AI referencing information
- Keep drafts of your work. To help prove the authenticity and originality of your work, you should keep all draft versions of your work to show how your assessments were developed. These can be requested at any time during your program.
- AI can get things wrong. Responses can be outdated, biased, or simply made up (this is called hallucinating). Before including anything AI-generated in your work, check it against a credible source that you can verify.
How not to use AI
You cannot use AI to:
- Complete or contribute to an assessment task when it has not been specifically allowed. Check your course guide or ask your educator if you’re not sure
- Produce ideas that you don't reference and try to pass off as your own
- Produce content that you are unable to understand or explain in your own words.
Using AI in these ways is a breach of Academic Integrity Policy and may have serious consequences.
How to reference content generated by AI tools
RMIT Library has developed a guide to show you how to reference content generated by AI tools.
