Using AI in your academic work
AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools like ChatGPT, Copilot or Grammarly are becoming common in study and everyday life. They can help you with ideas, checking grammar, or understanding complex information.
But it’s very important to know that you are responsible for everything you submit in your coursework.
If you use AI the wrong way — even by mistake — it can count as academic misconduct.
What is a prompt?
A prompt is the question, instruction, or request you give to an AI tool to get it to generate content. For example, “Write a short summary of this article” or “Check the grammar in this paragraph.”
Before you use any AI tool:
- Ask your tutor first. Each course is different. Some allow AI for certain tasks, and others don’t.
- Read the University’s full guide on using AI in academic work. It explains what is and isn’t allowed.
- Think about what the AI is doing for you. Are you using it to check spelling, or to write content?
- Check all information yourself. AI tools can make mistakes or invent facts and references, these are sometimes called 'hallucinations'. This is normal and you will need to check any information AI gives you against a reliable source.
- Always make the work your own. The ideas, structure, and understanding should come from you.
- Say if you used AI. Some courses ask you to include this in an “Acknowledgements” section. You will always need to state in your work if and how you used AI.
AI can be helpful for learning, but it cannot replace your own thinking, research, or writing. Always be careful and check what your course allows.
💡 Take a few minutes to read Falmouth University’s full student guidance before using AI. It explains what’s okay to do and how to avoid getting into trouble by accident.
👉 Using AI in academic work: a student guide