Ethics and academic integrity

Privacy, copyright, disclosure and USC policy.

What it is

Responsible use means knowing what data you can share, how to credit AI assistance, where copyright is unsettled, and what your instructor allows.

Why it matters

Misusing AI can cost you a grade, a job or someone else's privacy.

Key ideas

• Policies differ by course. The syllabus wins.
• Never paste other people's private data into a tool.
• Disclose AI use the way you'd cite a source.

Try it: Write your disclosure

1. Pick a recent assignment.
2. Write a two-sentence note describing exactly how AI was used.
3. Check it against the course policy.