Contact: kevin.sebastian@unlv.edu
This guide was developed in part by using ChatGPT-4o, a generative AI language model. It assisted in drafting content, providing recommendations, and refining language to ensure clarity and coherence. All AI-generated text was reviewed and edited for accuracy and relevance to the topic.
The university recognizes the growing role of generative AI in education and has developed policies to guide its responsible use, ensuring that both students and faculty feel empowered to navigate these tools.
The University Policies on AI (which you can find on this page) are designed to help everyone explore AI responsibly and with confidence. If you have questions or concerns about how to use AI ethically, you’re encouraged to ask—open dialogue is key as we all learn to adapt to this evolving technology. Instructors should direct questions to the AI Faculty Senate Task Force or their respective department chairs. Students should direct questions to their professors.
The university outlines four levels of acceptable AI use, which form a spectrum from full integration to complete restriction. At one end, some courses may encourage unrestricted use of AI without the need for citation, while others may allow AI with proper acknowledgment of its contribution. Certain other courses permit AI use only with prior instructor approval, and at the strictest level, some prohibit AI use altogether. These levels give faculty the flexibility to decide how AI best fits their course, while ensuring students use it responsibly. Learn more about these 4 levels below:
In this activity, you will read through a series of scenarios involving the use of AI in academic settings. After each of the 11 scenarios, you’ll evaluate the ethicality of the AI use based on the university’s policies, using a scale from completely unethical to completely ethical. Consider the principles of transparency, accountability, and academic integrity as you make your assessment. You are encouraged to reflect on the complexities of AI use and how these scenarios fit into the gray areas of academic ethics.
At UNLV, transparency and accountability are foundational principles that ensure the ethical use and dissemination of AI-generated content. Proper citation, in adherence to the style guide specified by your course (e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago), plays a crucial role in upholding these values.
By clearly attributing sources of information, including content generated by AI tools, we not only recognize the contributions of others but also provide a transparent path for others to trace the origins of knowledge. When we assiduously cite our sources, we not only demonstrate respect for intellectual property but also contribute to a scholarly dialogue that is open, credible, and trustworthy. This practice fosters academic integrity and accountability, encouraging a culture of responsible use and ethical engagement with emerging technologies.
Review the following style guides and their guidance on how to cite generative AI:
It is also useful to read through the policies of major academic journals and publishers as they help shape the norms for responsible AI use in research and publication. Reviewing their policies helps us understand evolving standards for transparency, attribution, and ethical practices, ensuring that our work aligns with broader academic expectations: