Cornell University

GAI tools pose potential privacy risks because data that is shared may be used as training data by the third-party vendor providing the service. Therefore, any information that educators are obligated to keep private, for example, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), should not be shared with such tools or uploaded to these third party vendors of GAI.

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English (en)

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Section 3.1.2: Attribution, authorship, access, and accountability in the use of GAI

GAI tools also have implications for intellectual property rights. Original research or content that is owned by Cornell University, our students, or employees should not be uploaded to these tools, since they can become part of the training data used by the GAI tools.

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English (en)

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Section 3.1.2: Attribution, authorship, access, and accountability in the use of GAI

While GAI may have selective utility in assisting in providing feedback for low-stakes formative assessment (for example in practice problems), we currently do NOT recommend it be used in summative evaluation of student work. Evaluation and grading of students is among the most important tasks entrusted to faculty, and the integrity of the grading process is reliant on the primary role of the faculty member.

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English (en)

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Section 3.3: Use of GAI by instructors for course content creation

We recommend instructors consider three kinds of policies either for individual assignments or generally in their courses. To prohibit the use of GAI where it interferes with the student developing foundational understanding, skills, and knowledge needed for future courses and careers. To allow with attribution where GAI could be a useful resource, but the instructor needs to be aware of its use by the student and the student must learn to take responsibility for accuracy and correct attribution of GAI-generated content. To encourage and actively integrate GAI into the learning process where students can leverage GAI to focus on higher-level learning objectives, explore creative ideas, or...

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English (en)

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Executive summary, Recommendations subsection

We currently discourage the use of automatic detection algorithms for academic integrity violations using GAI, given their unreliability and current inability to provide definitive evidence of violations.

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English (en)

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Section 4: Recommendations for faculty and administration (faculty recommendations)

You are accountable for your work, regardless of the tools you use to produce it. When using generative AI tools, always verify the information for errors and biases and exercise caution to avoid copyright infringement.

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English (en)

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Accountability section

If you are using public generative AI tools, you cannot enter any Cornell information, or another person's information, that is confidential, proprietary, subject to federal or state regulations, or otherwise considered sensitive or restricted. Any information you provide to public generative AI tools is considered public and may be stored and used by anyone else.

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English (en)

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Confidentiality and Privacy section

Cornell's response to generative AI in teaching and learning is built around seven core principles. We invite instructors to consider these principles as they make decisions and talk with their students and colleagues about generative AI and learning: The integrity of the faculty-student relation. A commitment to experimentation, evidence and learning from experience. The centrality of faculty judgment and expertise in the classroom. Responsiveness to real student needs and uses. Recognition of both AI 'goods' and 'harms'. Respect for institutional and disciplinary heterogeneity. The extension and renewal of Cornell's core mission and values.

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English (en)

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Cornell's Core Principles for Generative AI in Education section

To best support student learning and reduce violations of academic integrity, be sure to clearly communicate your policies regarding the use of generative AI in your syllabus, in assignment instructions, and verbally in class.

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English (en)

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Opening paragraph of AI & Academic Integrity page

We currently do not recommend using current automatic detection algorithms for academic integrity violations using generative AI, given their unreliability and current inability to provide definitive evidence of violations.

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English (en)

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Detecting AI-Generated Content section

The Code of Academic Integrity should be updated with clear and explicit language on the use of GAI, specifically indicating that individual faculty have authority to determine when its use is prohibited, attributed, or encouraged, and that use of GAI on assignments by students is only allowed when expressly permitted by the faculty member.

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English (en)

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Section 4: Recommendations for faculty and administration (administration recommendations)

Cornell encourages a flexible framework in which faculty and instructors can choose to prohibit, to allow with attribution, or to encourage generative AI use.

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English (en)

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Use for Education and Pedagogy section

Established in spring 2024 with all-college representation including faculty, staff and students, the Cornell GenAI Education Working Group, a part of the university-wide AI Advisory Council, is the central place in which new ideas, policies and practices around GenAI in the classroom are being worked out at Cornell.

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English (en)

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Main content section, second paragraph

These icons have been developed to help you clearly and consistently communicate your expectations. They can be used on the syllabus to convey an overall course approach. They can also be used for individual assignments, allowing you to distinguish different policies for different assignments with different learning goals. Icons can be combined to more fully reflect your course policy.

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English (en)

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Opening paragraph of AI Course Policy Icons page

When generative AI is permitted, clarify expectations for documentation and attribution, as well as what aspects of the work should be produced by the students themselves. ... students should attribute directly quoted text to the creator of the generative AI tool used (e.g., cite OpenAI when directly quoting ChatGPT). This attribution should be used for both in-text citations and your reference list.

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English (en)

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Opening guidance paragraph and AS-UA sample policy language section

We recommend discussing course policies and expectations around their use, and clearly communicating with your students when and in what ways use of generative AI tools are permitted – or not.

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English (en)

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Responding to Generative AI in Classes section, recommendation paragraph

A set of course policy icons has been developed by the GenAI Advisory Council to help Cornell instructors communicate with students about appropriate AI use for different courses and assignments. They are downloadable and can be incorporated into your syllabus or assignment instructions, to help provide clear guidance to students about course expectations.

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English (en)

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Opening section, after introductory paragraph

Discuss with students how generative AI output can be incorrect or problematic and that they are responsible for verifying the output and references if AI use is allowed for an assignment.

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English (en)

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Opening paragraph of AI & Academic Integrity page

Require that students verify the accuracy of all citations and references they include in their work. Request that students provide verification of references or methods, with a student's response determining whether a formal academic integrity notification is warranted. ... Inform and remind students that they should expect to verbally explain the work they submitted.

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English (en)

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Prevention > Set Clear Expectations in the Syllabus section

The Cornell University Task Force Report, Generative AI in Academic Research: Perspectives and Cultural Norms (December 2023), offers perspectives and practical guidelines to the Cornell community on the use of generative AI in the practice and dissemination of academic research.

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English (en)

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Use for Research section

The use of generative AI for administration purposes must comply with the guidelines of the Cornell Generative AI in Administration Task Force Report (January 2024).

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English (en)

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Use for Administration and Other Purposes section

'AI+AI': efforts to strengthen and update Cornell's academic integrity procedures to better reflect the presence of GenAI, including better models for attributing student use of GenAI in assignments or course settings; efforts to streamline, strengthen, and reform the university's academic integrity system; and the development of evidentiary standards and processes appropriate to the adjudication of GenAI-related violations of academic integrity.

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English (en)

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Key initiatives list, AI+AI bullet point

The need for AI literacy is essential for students and faculty alike. We can think of ethical generative AI literacies as the ability to understand, evaluate, and critically engage with generative AI technologies.

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English (en)

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Generative AI Literacy section

To ensure development and mastery of the foundational concepts and skills in this course, the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is prohibited. This includes tools that help reorganize and edit your written work because the ability to self-assess, reflect on your writing process, and develop your own voice are essential in your growth as a writer.

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English (en)

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Example Course Policy Language - Prohibiting Generative AI Use (AI-FREE) section

Mastering the essential, foundational concepts of this course takes effort and practice. Accordingly, the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is generally discouraged in this course, but will be permitted for select assignments. ... If used in any capacity for an assignment, generative AI requires proper attribution for any and all generated work.

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English (en)

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Example Course Policy Language - Permitting Generative AI Use with Attribution (AS-UA) section

PP (Privacy Protecting—No Proprietary Materials): GenAI use permitted, but no uploading of copyrighted or proprietary class materials unless otherwise specified.

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English (en)

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AI Course Policy table, PP row