Generative AI tools are valuable aids for learning when used thoughtfully, but they can also impede your development of critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and communication skills. In all Foster courses, AI use is permitted without disclosure except in specific assignments or assessments. These assignment/assessment-specific prohibitions, restrictions, or requirements are to help you learn how to leverage these tools professionally while ensuring your fundamental understanding of the business disciplines. Throughout this course, you are graded on the quality of your outcomes. Purely AI-generated work without substantial human input is unlikely to meet the desired standards or learning objectives.
Your responsibilities when using AI:
- Genuine understanding: You must be able to explain and defend any work you submit to your instructor or teammates. You may be asked to briefly explain your work orally or in writing to confirm understanding.
Original thinking: AI should enhance, not replace, your thinking. Your work should include your unique perspective, analysis, and creativity. - Accuracy verification and bias awareness: AI tools can generate incorrect information and hallucinate citations, and AI outputs can reflect biases in training data. You should verify all facts, data, and sources, and review AI-generated content critically for biases.
- Own voice: AI can use generic or overly complex language. Review and rewrite AI-generated prose as needed to ensure phrasing, tone, and argument structure are consistent with your voice and professional communication style.
- Disclosure: You must adhere to any AI disclosure requirements set by the instructor for specific assignments. You should establish expectations and norms with teammates about how AI will be used in team assignments.
- Privacy protection: Never upload course materials (cases, textbook, slides, homework, class recordings, transcripts, etc.) to AI tools without permission from the owner of the material or individuals in the recordings, as this may violate copyright law or FERPA rules.*
This policy aims to balance building business knowledge and skills with workforce preparation. Developing proficiency with AI tools is important for your future career, yet your success will depend on what you can add beyond AI’s output. If you have questions about whether or how to use AI for a specific assignment or assessment, or what constitutes appropriate use, please ask before submitting your work. I am happy to discuss your approach and provide guidance. Under the UW Student Conduct Code (Academic Misconduct Policy), cheating includes the unauthorized use of assistance, including technology, in completing assignments or exams. Violations of this policy will be considered academic misconduct. Examples of violations include, but are not limited to, using AI on assignments or assessments where it is prohibited or misrepresenting the extent of AI assistance when disclosure is required. It is your responsibility to understand and follow the specific policy for each assignment in each course.
*Exceptions are UW’s licensed Purple and Copilot AI tools, which ensure data security and privacy, but still require instructor permission.