Policy Update: AI Editing Tools (Fall 2024)

AI-powered editing tools like Grammarly and WordTune work by using AI to suggest revisions to your writing, so the suggestions they make are AI-generated text. This means that if your instructor prohibits the use of gen AI on an assignment or in a class, this prohibition includes the use of editing tools, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

If your instructor is using an AI detector, even a small number of suggestions from an AI editing tool in your writing can cause it to be flagged as 100% likely to contain AI-generated text. This is not a false positive, as the detector has correctly identified the AI-generated content produced by the editing tool. If they have permitted the use of editing tools, then it may not be an issue, but you should be aware that this result can occur even with minimal AI assistance.

Furthermore, using AI-generated suggestions without proper attribution can be considered a form of academic dishonesty. This is because you're incorporating AI-generated content into your writing without citation, just as using content from another source without citation would be considered plagiarism.

If you aren’t sure, check the syllabus or ask your instructor for clarification, and consider citing the use of these tools if they are allowed.