What this record update means
Structured record overview
Records involved: 11 (5 corrected / adjusted · 5 added · 1 held)
Approved tools · Academic integrity · 5 more topics
No independently reviewed summary is available for this revision yet.
This is a historical record summary, not confirmation of current permission or a new university rule.
Coursework · Records involved: 1 (1 corrected / adjusted)
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−Old textFrom Semester 1 2025, the default position in the University of Sydney Academic Integrity Policy has been reversed: except for supervised examinations and supervised in-semester tests, students may use automated writing tools or generative AI to complete assessments unless expressly prohibited by the unit coordinator.
+New textThe University of Sydney's current student guidance (last updated 2 June 2026) says students can use AI in open (unsupervised) assessments, where educators guide the appropriate types of use and AI use must be acknowledged, but generally cannot use AI in secure (supervised) assessments unless the unit coordinator has given express permission in the unit outline. Each unit outline has a 'Use of AI' column showing, per assessment, AI prohibited, AI allowed, AI limited, or not applicable. This replaces the earlier Semester 1 2025 transition wording.
Exams · Records involved: 1 (1 corrected / adjusted)
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−Old textUniversity of Sydney guidance states that misusing generative AI can breach the Academic Integrity Policy 2022, with examples including using AI in assessments where prohibited, submitting AI-generated work without acknowledgment, and inputting University teaching materials or personal information into AI tools.
+New textUniversity of Sydney guidance states that misusing AI can breach the Academic Integrity Policy, with examples including submitting AI-generated work without appropriate acknowledgment, using AI where it has been prohibited in a secure assessment such as a secure exam, and inputting University teaching or course materials, other students' content, external partners' intellectual property or any person's personal or health information. Citing non-existent references because AI output was not verified is not acceptable and risks an academic integrity breach.
Disclosure · Records involved: 2 (1 corrected / adjusted · 1 added)
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+All University of Sydney theses should contain a statement acknowledging any use of generative AI, and if no generative AI was used the thesis should still include a statement to that effect. HDR students who use generative AI in their research or thesis should document all prompts and keep records of generated outputs.
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−Old textUniversity of Sydney states that students who use AI in assessments are required to acknowledge it, including any tools that use generative AI such as translation tools, paraphrasing tools or referencing tools; failing to provide acknowledgement can lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy 2022.
+New textIf University of Sydney students use AI in assessments they must acknowledge it, including generative AI translation, paraphrasing or referencing tools; tools used only for word processing or basic spelling and grammar correction need not be acknowledged. Where permitted by the unit outline, the statement must say that AI tools were used and give the tool's name and version, the publisher, the URL and a brief description of how it was used; unit coordinators may add requirements such as a log of AI inputs and outputs.
Data safety · Records involved: 1 (1 added)
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+Higher degree by research (HDR) students at the University of Sydney do not inherit the open-assessment AI permission. The Graduate Research guidance says generative AI may in general be used to improve spelling or grammar (spelling/grammar checkers and reference managers are permitted) but not to generate content; prompting AI to generate written or other content, uploading a draft to improve its academic language, and incorporating AI outputs as substantive thesis content are prohibited, except where AI is integral to the research design or methodology and approved by the supervisor and through the ethics arrangements. HDR students should never enter personal, sensitive or confidential information into any gen AI tool.
Approved tools · Records involved: 3 (2 corrected / adjusted · 1 added)
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−Old textMicrosoft Copilot is listed for The University of Sydney in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: allowed. Derived endorsement type: officially endorsed.
+New textThe University of Sydney Student IT page describes Microsoft Copilot as a University-endorsed GenAI tool, free for all students and accessed by signing in with a University account; students may use it for assessments provided they use AI tools responsibly, which still depends on each assessment's AI rules.
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+Besides Copilot, the University of Sydney lists Cogniti (designed by University educators), Harvey AI (available to all Sydney Law School students, a faculty-specific legal tool) and ChatGPT Edu. ChatGPT Edu is not yet available to all students: a student pilot is planned for October 2026 and release to all students is scheduled for Semester 1 2027. Custom GPTs, agents, plugins and connectors are individually assessed before being enabled. Its data are stored in Australia at rest, with globally routed inference.
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−Old textThe University of Sydney provides all students free access to Microsoft Copilot for Web, and recommends using University-endorsed tools like Copilot with protected mode via UniKey login rather than public AI tools.
+New textThe University of Sydney describes Microsoft Copilot Chat as the go-to option for students' AI needs: secure, supported and ready to use with public and protected information (but only some highly protected data), with students told always to sign in with their University account via Okta for data protection.
Academic integrity · Records involved: 3 (2 added · 1 held)
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+University of Sydney academic decisions and misconduct findings use different review routes. For academic decisions, students may apply for faculty or Academic Panel review within 20 working days, and may appeal to the Student Appeals Body (SAB) within 15 working days of the review outcome, but not simply because they disagree with it. Where the Registrar makes a misconduct finding or penalty, the student may appeal to the Student Disciplinary Appeals Committee (SDAC) within 20 working days of the penalty notice. Not every AI-related academic integrity matter is a Registrar misconduct decision.
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+At the University of Sydney, minor academic integrity breaches may be handled locally by unit coordinators, more serious ones are investigated by the faculty Educational Integrity team, and the most serious suspected cheating is handled by the Registrar under the Student Discipline Rule. Students may bring a support person to an integrity meeting.
Held / removed from current conclusions
Retained historical text; this does not mean the university repealed a rule.
The University of Sydney Academic Integrity Policy 2022 states students may only use assistance, including automated writing tools, if the unit of study outline expressly permits it, and must acknowledge assistance provided when preparing submitted work.
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