AI can be a helpful partner in brainstorming keywords and highlighting areas in your work that may need editing or revising. It can also be useful to conduct research by connecting you to new resources that may be scattered across databases. Be transparent with your use of AI, and ask your teachers for their AI policy before using it for coursework. Using AI ethically may look different in different classes and contexts.
Using AI to generate content for your paper or relying on information it has given to you without confirming it with another source are not ethical uses of AI, and may amount to plagiarism. Even though AI can feel reliable and easy, it should be used with knowledge that you, not the AI, are responsible for the work you hand in.
Be transparent with your teachers and peers about what tools you have used. Don't forget you can always make an appointment with a librarian or stop by the library any time if you have questions. We are happy to help you online or in-person.
On the question of copyrightability of AI outputs from the U.S. Copyright Office’s report, Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, Part 2: Copyrightability (published January 2025). This excerpt is from the Executive Summary, page iii.
Based on an analysis of copyright law and policy, informed by the many thoughtful comments in response to our NOI, the Office makes the following conclusions and recommendations:
The Office will continue to monitor technological and legal developments to determine whether any of these conclusions should be revisited. It will also provide ongoing assistance to the public, including through additional registration guidance and an update to the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices.