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AI, Plagiarism, and Writing with Integrity

Montgomery Library's Topic Guide

AI, Plagiarism, and Writing with Integrity

The purpose of this guide is to clarify what counts as plagiarism in a world where it is easy to copy and paste text generated by artificial intelligence (AI) as well as text found on websites. Some types of plagiarism involve AI software and other do not.

Not only does plagiarism result in disciplinary action, but plagiarism hurts students by reducing their overall learning and weakening their internal sensitivity to standards of integrity. 

This guide first defines plagiarism as well as the benefits of avoiding plagiarism when writing. Then it explains seven different types of plagiarism, including several inappropriate uses of AI. Finally, this guide ends with tips on how AI can be used ethically in academic contexts.

Watch the video below, or check out the tabs in the left menu to learn more about AI, plagiarism, wordsmithing, and citations.

AI Plagiarism vs. AI Literacy

AI plagiarism is the growing practice of using AI programs, such as Grammarly or Google Translate, to create text and then present that text as one's own work. AI plagiarism is not permitted in college classrooms because the expectation is that all submitted assignments are the work of the individual student. 

AI literacy, on the other hand, refers to the having accurate knowledge about AI and understanding how to use it effectively and in accordance with the ethical norms of your school or workplace. 

Plagiarism, AI, and Writing it Yourself: No Brain, No Gain!

The following video defines seven types of plagiarism, including AI plagiarism and patchwriting. It also presents multiple ethical and practical arguments to motivate students to do their own writing rather than plagiarizing off of AI or another source.

Note: Under Settings (⚙), set the video quality to 1080p for a clearer picture.

Plagiarism Workshop PowerPoint