JMM309_631 Syllabus - Spring 2026

• How output is arrived at is not clear as the internal processes used to produce a particular output within the generative AI cannot be determined.
• AI output is typically based on data harvested from unknown online sources. As such, it may reflect biases that should be acknowledged. AI output may also be inaccurate or entirely fabricated, even if it appears reliable or factual.
• AI evokes a range of intellectual property concerns; sourcing and ownership of information is often unclear and is currently the subject of ongoing litigation.

If you use AI tools in any part of your work, you are responsible for the final product of that work, both academically and in the workforce.

General AI Principles

1. AI should help you think, not think for you. AI tools may be used to help generate ideas, frame problems, and perform research. It can be a starting point for your own thought process, analysis, and discovery. Do not use them to do your work for you, e.g., do not enter an assignment question into ChatGPT and copy and paste the response as your answer.
2. The use of AI must be open and documented. The use of any AI in the creation of your work must be declared in your submission and explained. Your faculty can provide guidance as to the format and contents of the disclosure.
3. Engage with AI Responsibly and Ethically. Engage with AI technologies responsibly, critically evaluating AI-generated outputs and considering potential biases, limitations, and ethical implications in your analysis and discussions. Ensure that the data used for AI applications are obtained and shared responsibly. Never pass off as your own work generated by AI.
4. You are 100% responsible for your final product. You are the user; if the AI tool makes a mistake, and you use it, then it’s your mistake. If you don’t know whether a statement about any item in the output is true, then it is your responsibility to research it. If you cannot verify it as factual, you should delete it. You hold full responsibility for AI-generated content. Ideas must be attributed, and sources must be verified.
5. These principles are in effect unless the instructor gives you specific guidelines for an assignment or exam. It is your responsibility to ensure you are following the correct guidelines. Not following them will result in a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.
6. Data that are confidential or personal should not be entered into generative AI tools. Putting confidential or personal data into these tools exposes you and others to the loss of important information. Therefore, do not do so. See point 3 above.
7. The rules and practices on the use of AI may vary from class to class, discipline to discipline. Do not assume that what is acceptable in a Computer Science class will be acceptable in a Philosophy class. It is the student’s responsibility to stay informed as to the instructor’s expectations. When in doubt, ask.

SoC-Specific Principles for the Use of AI

Please adhere to the following overarching institutional principles for the use of AI systems in any SoC coursework:

• Unless expressly approved by the instructor in writing, AI system outcomes should not be incorporated in final submissions or deliverables. They should solely be employed for process and research purposes.
• Students must properly cite the AI systems and document the pertinent prompts utilized during their process and research in the final assignment outcomes.
• Unless expressly approved by the instructor in writing, refrain from using the names of artists, designers, companies, or brands within the prompts. This is to uphold the artistic integrity of those involved.
• The instructor must ensure equitable access to any AI systems utilized in the course. This means that platforms used by students to meet course requirements must be freely accessible or offered through a UM-provided subscription.

The instructor is the copyright owner of the courseware; individual recordings of the materials on Blackboard and/or of the course sessions are not allowed; and such materials cannot be shared outside the physical or virtual classroom environments.

No honest student wants to be guilty of the intellectual crime of plagiarism, even unintentionally. Therefore, we provide you with these guidelines so that you don’t accidentally fall into the plagiarism trap.

Plagiarism is the taking of someone else’s words, work, or ideas, and passing them off as a product of your own efforts. Plagiarism may occur when a person fails to place quotation marks around someone else’s exact words, directly rephrasing or paraphrasing someone else’s words while still following the general form of the original, and/or failing to issue the proper citation to one’s source material.

In student papers, plagiarism is often due to…

• turning in someone else’s paper as one’s own
• using another person’s data or ideas without acknowledgment
• failing to cite a written source (printed or internet) of information that you used to collect data or ideas
• copying an author’s exact words and putting them in the paper without quotation marks
• rephrasing an author’s words and failing to cite the source
• copying, rephrasing, or quoting an author’s exact words and citing a source other than where the material was obtained (e.g., citing a primary source when you actually used a secondary source)
• using wording that is very similar to that of the original source, but passing it off as one’s own

The last item is probably the most common problem in student writing. It is still plagiarism if the student uses an author’s key phrases or sentences in a way that implies they are his/her own, even if s/he cites the source.

Please reach out to any of the resources on the site if you need support throughout the semester.