UQ’s rules for using AI in assessment

"The ongoing advances in Generative AI technologies present both opportunities and challenges for teaching and assessment. While protecting academic integrity is critical, we also acknowledge the increasing prevalence of AI in our everyday lives, making it critical for us to help students to understand its ethical and effective use.” 

- Professor Kris Ryan, University of Queensland Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

In semester 1, 2025 the options in course profiles for each assessment are: 

• Option 1: Cannot use AI. AI is prohibited.
• Option 2: Cannot use AI. AI is prohibited through in-person assessment (e.g., exams, oral presentation).
• Option 3: Can use AI. AI is allowed and must be referenced.

It may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct if a student submits an assessment where they:

• use AI where not permitted, or
• do not acknowledge or reference their use of AI when it is permitted.  

There is specific text to add to course profiles for each option. Where an assessment has multiple parts with varying requirements (e.g. in-person without AI or MT plus authentic collaboration), Course Coordinators can use a combination of these options.

Students and staff are demanding trust and transparency in using AI, however how we acknowledge and cite AI use is currently context dependent.

We need to explicitly identify and model the expectations for students to acknowledge AI use in each of our courses.

If an assessment task allows the use of AI, you need to set expectations with your students to either: 

• reference AI using citation practices, like APA or MLA style guides 
• acknowledge AI using a form, template or cover sheet
• both describe how you use AI (acknowledge) and cite your AI use (reference). 

Your decision should be informed by your disciplinary norms. Most style guides provide a means to cite AI tools, with the guidance being updated as AI tools change.

In general, if AI is the primary source then it should be cited, otherwise citing the primary source material AI uses is generally preferable (APA, 2024).

If AI is used to edit, summarise or help plan, we should expect an acknowledgement. More complex uses of AI may be best described in a methods section or appendix with details of the process, tools and prompts used.

Example Scenarios

Our students want to use AI responsibly. Clear expectations and guidance from course staff help students navigate these responsibilities. 

Clarify course expectations

When are students permitted to use AI in their assessment? 

• Highlight the information specified in the course profile and explain why these decisions were made. 
• If relevant, explain what use of AI is misconduct and why.

How should students acknowledge or Cite AI use? 

• Provide clear expectations, model these practices and link to the relevant guides. 

Support available for using AI ethically and effectively.

• Identify the support available at UQ and further support, if provided, within your course.

Guide students to reflect on their AI use 

Encourage students to ask themselves these 3 questions for every assessment before submission: 

• Is this assessment task my intellectual and academic work? 
• Have I followed my course coordinator’s instructions on using and acknowledging AI? 
• Am I submitting work that demonstrates my learning, skills and abilities? 

If students answer "no" to any of these questions, they may risk breaching UQ’s AI rules. Misusing or failing to acknowledge AI constitutes academic misconduct. 

Remind students why using AI responsibly matters 

These rules ensure that all students, regardless of their background or access to advanced tools, have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their true abilities.

By preventing unfair advantages and encouraging genuine effort, they help maintain a level playing field and protect the value of a UQ education.  

By fostering a culture of academic integrity and offering clear, consistent guidance, you empower students to use AI responsibly, preparing them for ethical and informed engagement in their academic and professional futures. 
 

AI detection tools, including Turnitin, are flawed and unreliable. They cannot definitively determine whether text, ideas, or structures were generated by AI. At UQ we have the Turnitin AI detection tool available for staff to use in courses.

At UQ:

• staff can use Turnitin AI detection as a reflection tool when reviewing student submissions
• no actions (e.g., academic misconduct claims or mark reductions) may be based solely on AI detection. Any investigation of suspected misconduct must be supported by evidence beyond the Turnitin AI detection report (e.g., fabricated references).

AI detection tools rely on models trained on human and AI-generated writing. These tools:  

• have high error rates, misclassifying both human-written and AI-generated text
• may have biases, particularly against writers using a second or other language
• cannot detect sophisticated AI use as tools evolve. 

To minimise reliance on AI detection, UQ is adopting more secure assessments where responsible AI use is evident. This approach fosters integrity and ensures fairness while adapting to the evolving role of AI in education.

UQ students want clear guidance on how to use GenAI properly in their courses (Students’ Guidance for Academics, 2024 (PDF, 217.3 KB)). 

60% of UQ students were discouraged from using AI because they were worried about breaking their University’s rules (Student Perspectives on AI survey). 

We need to talk with our students about how to use AI in our assessment to help them learn to use AI ethically and to give them the confidence needed to safely to explore and learn to use it effectively.  

Activities to spark discussion of AI, assessment and integrity  

• Explore case studies of the use of AI beyond university – particularly where is relates to your assessment.
• Provide a space to discuss AI in your assessment in an online discussion board.
• Debate AI ethics in the context of your assessment.
• Facilitate group activities to identify and bust or confirm AI myths.
• Incorporate AI into class activities, practicing the use of these tools, and 
  • how to use AI ethically and effectively
  • acknowledging or citing the use of AI.

As educators, it's important that we model academic integrity and talk to our students about why academic integrity is important and how to engage with academic integrity in their assessment.

More resources to use with your students  

The AI student hub provides: 

• Checklist for acknowledging AI use
• Checklist for planning AI use in your assessment
• UQ academic integrity resources for staff