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Teaching and Generative AI

Resources to help SJSU Faculty and Teaching Assistants how to address ChatGPT and other generative AI tools in their classrooms and assignments.

Should you cite?

Is there a formal policy regarding the use and citations of GenAI?

No. As of now, San José State University (SJSU) and the Academic Senate have not issued a university-wide policy regarding the use and citation of generative AI. The decision to cite GenAI for class assignments and course material is still up to individual professors and specific departments.

For example, SJSU's School of Information (iSchool) requires the use of ChatGPT and any other AI-assisted software to be cited as a reference source.

Should you cite GenAI content or the use of it?

The purpose of citations is to credit the original creators/authors and to help others locate the sources that informed the work. However, with GenAI, this becomes tricky given it’s often impossible to trace where generated content originated since it's generated and derived from internet data rather than created by a single author or entity. Outputs and responses are also not always reproducible, even with the same prompt and same AI tool

Given that there isn't an official guideline, the decision to cite GenAI use in instructional materials rests with individual faculty. However, the general consensus for responsible and ethical AI use is to prioritize transparency.

One helpful way to approach this is to reflect on the purpose of citing a source in the first place. It can be useful to think about the use of GenAI in two broad categories:

  1. GenAI content as product – If AI tools are used to generate content (text, images, data), it’s good practice to cite them, similar to citing other external sources. For example, MLA recommends citing any AI-generated content that’s paraphrased, quoted, or incorporated. This guide from Georgetown University is a helpful resource.

  2. GenAI use as a process or support – If AI is used for support (editing, brainstorming), a formal citation may not be necessary, but a brief disclosure statement such as “Edited with the assistance of ChatGPT” or “Drafted using Copilot” is a good model of responsible use. If faculty allow AI in their classrooms, modeling this kind of attribution helps set expectations for students and can serve as an example of ethical AI use.

Check out the University of Oregon’s guide on distinguishing between GenAI use (as process) and GenAI content (as product).