Ever asked ChatGPT to write a meal plan, fix a sentence or explain quantum physics in plain English? Same. Gen AI tools are now part of student life but using them without thinking can land you in trouble with academic integrity. At Curtin, you can use Gen AI tools. You just need to know where the line is, and how to stay on the right side of it.
First things first: Gen AI isn’t off limits
That’s right, Gen AI isn’t banned. In fact, we encourage students to use it for all kinds of tasks, as long as it’s not being used to write your assessments for you. That means you can use it to help with:
- Planning your week or budget
- Organising your study timetable
- Turning a brain dump into actions
- Understanding a tricky topic (hello, statistics)
- Practising for job interviews
- Troubleshooting programs like Microsoft Word and Adobe Suite
Think of Gen AI as a study buddy, not a shortcut. It can help you think clearer, plan smarter and solve problems. But your ideas still must come from you.
Don’t let it do the thinking for you
It’s super tempting to copy-paste your assignment prompt into ChatGPT and let it write a first draft. But that’s not learning, and at Curtin, it’s also considered misconduct.
Why? Because even if it sounds good, Gen AI can ‘hallucinate’, meaning it might give you false facts, incorrect citations or just bland, generic content. That’s not going to earn you marks or help you develop real skills. We want you to sharpen your critical and analytical skills at uni, not dull them.
Instead, you can use Gen AI to:
- Ask it to explain something you’re struggling with.
- Roleplay scenarios, such as a getting it to ask potential presentation questions.
- Use it to sanity-check your time management or break a big task into steps.
Our tips for using Gen AI ethically:
- Understand and follow Curtin’s Gen AI Guidelines
- Always check what Gen AI gives you to make sure it’s correct.
- Avoid uploading personal information or things you wouldn’t want shared with others.
- Don’t rely on it for content. Use it to support your thinking, not replace it.
- Respect your unit’s rules. Some assessments allow limited Gen AI use, while others don’t.
- Keep your own voice. Your ideas, your words – that is what Curtin really wants to see.
- If in doubt, ask your tutor or Unit Coordinator. Nothing is worth the risk of accidently committing academic misconduct if you’re unsure.
For more information about some of the creative, ethical ways you can use Gen AI at Curtin, plus a whole range of ways to structure your prompts, visit the Library website.
