Generative AI in learning

Generative AI (GenAI) is technology that produces or transforms content such as text, images, audio, video or computer code in response to instructions (prompts). It generates output by identifying and reproducing patterns learned from large collections of data. You may see GenAI in standalone tools like ChatGPT and Claude, or as a feature within writing, research, design and productivity tools.

The quality of output depends on a number of things including:

• the prompts used
• the dataset used by the GenAI tool
• the model and version
• whether the tool can retrieve current sources
• settings and safety controls

• the user's ability to refine and evaluate the results

  GenAI can produce text that resembles critical analysis but it lacks human understanding, responsibility and judgment.

Artificial Intelligence refers to systems developed to allow machines to carry out tasks that normally require human intelligence.

Machine Learning is a field within AI that develops and uses algorithms to allow computer systems to learn and adapt. It improves performance over time without being explicitly programmed for each task.

Large Language Model is a type of AI model trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human language. ChatGPT is an example of a large language model.

ChatGPT was developed by Open AI. It understands and generates simulated, human-like text. It can answer questions, assist with writing, and engage in interactive dialogue.

GPT stands for generative pre-trained transformer. 

To find out more about generative AI take a look at this video:

Generative AI in a nutshell: How to survive and thrive in the age of AI [Video, 17.56 mins].

Last reviewed 10 Sept, 2026

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Submitting GenAI content as your own work is a form of academic dishonesty and may result in disciplinary action.

See the Open Polytechnic Using Artificial Intelligence Services page for more information.

Tips for using GenAI to help you with your study/research:

Always check if there are any specific instructions regarding using GenAI in your assessment instructions. And:

• read Open Polytechnic's information on Using AI - Artificial Intelligence services, as well as the information in this guide
   
• if you use GenAI (see our examples of appropriate/inappropriate use), keep track of your original assessment drafts and notes. You may be asked to show these
   
• verify any information generated by AI using authoritative sources, e.g. academic books or journals, trustworthy websites. Note, sources cited by GenAI may be hallucinations (i.e. they don't actually exist). 
   
• make sure your assessments are your own work. If you include AI-generated information, make sure to cite this correctly - see Referencing GenAI content.

Last reviewed 11 Sept, 2026

Examples of appropriate/inappropriate use of GenAI

! Remember if you are in doubt about whether it's ok to use GenAI in your assessments, always contact your course facilitator for advice.

GenAI technology provides amazing tools, however, it is more important than ever to engage your own critical thinking skills.

"There’s a big difference between machine learning and 'machine thinking.' ... The minute we start looking at AI as machine thinking, we’re in trouble, because it means we’ve tried to outsource our own critical thinking and problem solving skills to a machine that is only replicating and regurgitating information it has gathered" (Carucci, 2024).

See Evaluating sources for guidance on using your own critical thinking when sourcing information.

Reference

Carucci, R. (2024, February 6). In the age of AI, critical thinking is more needed than ever. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/roncarucci/2024/02/06/in-the-age-of-ai-critical-thinking-is-more-needed-than-ever/

Last reviewed 2 July, 2025

Why can’t I use GenAI to paraphrase?

Text paraphrased by GenAI is not text written by you, and is therefore a form of plagiarism.

Writing something in your own words requires critical thinking and demonstrates your ability to understand and communicate ideas and information.

Academic Misconduct 

GenAI should not be used to answer the assessment for you. If it is detected that you have used AI to write your assessment, this is considered a form of academic dishonesty/plagiarism and can result in serious academic penalties.

! Beware of websites claiming to turn AI-generated text into "AI un-detectable" text when passed through plagiarism checkers. These are often money-making scams which encourage academic dishonesty and plagiarism. 
We strongly advise you to avoid such tools and to write your own content.

Incorrect information 

Information generated by AI may be incorrect, irrelevant, out of date or biased. AI generates text based on prompts and the data it's trained on. It's not a search tool and can’t browse the internet for up-to-date information. (See Hallucinations below.) 

Our advice? Treat GenAI as an initial starting point, similar to using Wikipedia. Do your own research using the Library, Google Scholar, and Google. Do NOT copy the AI generated content and use it in your assessment!

Hallucinations 

GenAI tools sometimes produces made-up sources, e.g. ChatGPT might cite sources that look real, but don't exist. These are called hallucinations. It is your responsibility to verify the information. 

Bias

AI can perpetuate biases that are widely expressed. These may sometimes be hard to spot, especially when they are confirming your own biases. 

Intellectual Property breach 

GenAI may be trained on data that is licensed or copyrighted. It may be generating text using copied (plagiarised) words, i.e. someone else’s original work.

Privacy/Security

Avoid entering personal details into a GenAI tool like ChatGPT, e.g. your name, address, phone number, or other key information. Don't enter confidential workplace information, assessment answers or any material that you don't have permission to share. Anything personal could leave you exposed to fraud. ChatGPT and others use your conversations as part of their training, by adding your information to their dataset. 
A GenAI tool that does not use conversations for training is Duck Duck Go's AI Chat.
 

Last reviewed 10 Sept, 2026

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Submitting GenAI content as your own work is a form of academic dishonesty and may result in disciplinary action.

See the Open Polytechnic Using Artificial Intelligence Services page for more information.

You must produce assessments that have been written by you and are in your own voice**. 

Tools such as Grammarly* can be helpful but be aware that they are also a form of GenAI and need to be used appropriately.

! Note, Disability & Access Services can provide you with advice on use of GenAI tools for particular circumstances: DisabilityandAccessServices@openpolytechnic.ac.nz.

Appropriate use 

1. Complete the first draft of your assessment without any help from Grammarly*.

2. Save this and keep it as your original draft. You may need to produce this as proof of your original work.

3. Use Grammarly* for spelling and grammatical
checks only by uploading your document to your Grammarly account.

4. Save the edited version as a separate document to your original draft.

Inappropriate use for assessment writing

Do not use Grammarly* to:

• adjust tone, e.g. to make your writing more persuasive, formal, confident etc.
   
• paraphrase – remember, the work must be your own writing, in your own voice
   
• suggest English fluency improvements
   
• generate content – all drafts must be your own work.

*Note: here we use the example of Grammarly as a writing assistant but the same applies to all GenAI writing assistants.

** Note: dictation tools, such as the dictate function in Word, or extensions like Voice In, are okay because they are merely transcribing your own words. 

Last reviewed 2 July, 2025

Why can’t I use GenAI to paraphrase?

Text paraphrased by GenAI is not text written by you, and is therefore a form of plagiarism.

Writing something in your own words requires critical thinking and demonstrates your ability to understand and communicate ideas and information.

Clear, specific questions and instructions (prompts) are key to getting the information you want from GenAI. However, even well written prompts do not guarantee  accurate information so always evaluate  responses critically. (!Be sure to use GenAI appropriately. See Advice for using GenAI).
Here are some things to consider:

Be specific: Clearly state what information your need and avoid vague wording.

Provide context: Include relevant details such as your topic, level of study, audience or purpose.

Explore other angles: Ask GenAI questions to help you explore multiple sides of an idea. 

Follow up your questions: It's likely that you will need to ask a number of questions to get the information you are looking for.

Reword your question: If you're not getting the results you want, change the wording of your prompts until you get the desired response.

Ask for evidence: Request supporting sources or references and verify them using the original source.

Evaluate the responses: Assess the responses for relevance and quality. Refine your prompts based on the information generated. 

Last reviewed 10 Sept, 2026

Example 1

I find it difficult to retain information by reading. Can you suggest some effective study techniques for retaining information to prepare for a three hour science exam?

Example 2

How do I use Microsoft Word to create a hanging indent?

Example 3

Can you help me understand how to structure an essay?

What do we mean by using AI as a "source"?

1. Content generated in an AI chat 
! Check with your course facilitator whether, and how, you might use content from an AI chat as one of your sources. Always verify the information against other sources. (See Citing an AI chat below).

2. Sources suggested or cited by an AI tool, such as articles, websites etc.
! Locate and read the original source, if accessible and if it does actually exist – sometimes AI produces ‘hallucinations’, sources that sound plausible but aren’t real. Cite the original source. (See AI as a search engine below).
 

Referencing an AI chat

For legitimate uses of content generated by an AI chat, use the following template for the reference list entry:

Template:

AI Company Name. (year, month day). Title of chat in italics [Description, such as Generative AI chat]. Tool Name/Model*. URL of the chat**

* Note, the version number is not required by APA. Instead, include the model name if it is available (it is also acceptable to just use the name of the tool).
** Note, most AI tools now allow you to “Share” a chat – use the URL from the Share option.

Examples:

OpenAI. (2025, August 21). High school grammar concepts [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/68a77b60-0ee4-800c-9acc-cd3fd573c311

Google. (2025, May 22). High school grammar concepts overview [Generative AI chat]. Gemini 2.5 Flash. https://g.co/gemini/share/a1306ce12929
 

General reference to an AI tool

There are times when you may want to refer to an AI tool in general, e.g. when you want to point to the existence of the AI tool but not necessarily cite specific information from it.

Template:

AI Company Name. (year). Tool Name/Model in Italics and Title Case [Description, e.g., Large language model]. URL of the tool

Example:

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/
 

Documenting AI prompts

In general, you do not need to be documenting the prompts used to generate AI content. If your course specifically asks you to document prompts, please scroll down to “Documenting AI prompts” on the following page for APA’s advice: Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 1—Reference formats.

AI as a search engine

“Keep humans involved; do not stop your research process after asking AI and just cite AI” (McAdoo et al., 2025). 

Whether you are using Google, which integrates AI into its search, or another AI research tool, it is not necessary to cite the search engine/tool itself. Rather, cite the sources directly that you have found using the search engine/tool. 

Note, always use caution when using sources found by an AI research tool or search engine. Check the source actually exists. AI is known to produce and cite ‘hallucinations’ – sources that don’t exist, but sound plausible. 

References

McAdoo, T., Denneny, S., & Lee. C. (2025, September 9). Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 1—Reference formats. APA Style blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/cite-generative-ai-references  

McAdoo, T., Denneny, S., & Lee. C. (2025, September 9). Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 2—AI as a search engine and AI integrated into common software. APA Style blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/cite-generative-ai-search-software  
 

Last reviewed 24 July, 2026.

Many Library databases and eBooks have AI features that can help with searching and understanding articles and topics.  AI tools might have names like AI Insights or Research Assistants. While these can be helpful they should be used to support, not replace, your own reading and evaluation of sources. 

You can use:

• AI summaries to help you know if the full text is likely to be relevant
• An AI summary or chat to learn more about the publication’s subject, academic theory or jargon in ways that make sense to you
• AI assisted searching alongside keyword searching to find the information you are looking for

If you use AI tools then you should:

• Read the original source (for example an article or book chapter) if the AI summary indicates that the resource is relevant
• Check any AI generated information against the source that it has come from
• Check with your course tutor if you are unsure about using AI summaries
• Contact Library & Learning Centre team for help

Cautions about the use of AI tools:

• Do not assume that an AI summary includes all of the important information from the source
• Do not copy, quote or paraphrase AI summaries into your assessments and other written work
• Do not cite or reference an AI summary.  Instead read, cite and reference the full article in your assessments and other written work

See:

Using AI - Artificial Intelligence Services

Finding and using good information

Te Kawa - Academic Regulatory Framework

Last updated 20 Aug, 2026