Retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team if your college, university, or high school has charged you with academic misconduct for using ChatGPT or another artificial intelligence program in your school assignments or exams. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now for the skilled and experienced attorney defense you need.
ChatGPT, Google Bard, Brainly, and Other AI Programs
Students today, at both the high school and higher education levels, have powerful artificial intelligence tools available to them for help with coursework and exams. ChatGPT is a primary AI tool, well known for drafting essays and providing similar written work. Google Bard, Brainly, QuillBot, and Cognii are similar tools that students may wish to use to write or refine essays and other text responses. The temptations and tools are certainly there, especially under the demands of a rigorous program, again, whether at the high school, college, or university level. Millions of students use these programs, whether they disclose doing so or not, and whether their instructors permit, encourage, discourage, or prohibit their use. You are certainly not alone if you find yourself in a dispute with your school over your use of an AI tool in your coursework or examination. Let us help.
Chegg, Course Hero, Cymath, PaperCoach, and Related Tools
Artificial intelligence tools are not the only online resources creating opportunities, temptations, and, in many cases, significant problems for high school, college, and university students. Online education services like Chegg, Course Hero, Cymath, Khan Academy, Quizlet, StudyBlue, Bartleby, and PaperCoach offer tools and services that students could use to complete homework assignments or other course requirements or to refine their own work. Once again, millions of students use these and similar programs, whether they acknowledge doing so or not and whether they are encouraged, permitted, discouraged, or prohibited from doing so. You are not alone if you face academic misconduct charges for using such a service. Our attorneys can help defend you against those charges.
ChatGPT and Other AI Tools and Academic Misconduct Policies
Your school doubtless has an academic misconduct policy of some form, whether a special academic honor code or integrity pledge or as part of its student code of conduct. Academic misconduct policies almost uniformly prohibit cheating and other academic dishonesty in these various forms, any one or more of which could implicate your misuse of ChatGPT or another AI program or online service:
- unauthorized assistance;
- unauthorized collaboration;
- use of unauthorized exam banks, problem banks, and other materials;
- the substitution of one student for another through false identification;
- unauthorized use of computer programs and internet services; and
- plagiarism.
Academic misconduct codes generally also include some form of blanket prohibition against violating an instructor's instructions or engaging in any other form of academic dishonesty or cheating for an undue advantage. Both the specific details and general prohibitions of academic misconduct policies can result in the misuse of AI tools. Let us help if you have run afoul of your school's policy and face academic misconduct charges.
Instructor Instructions and ChatGPT or Other AI Tools
If your instructor expressly prohibited using ChatGPT or any other AI or online tool, your knowing violation of that instruction likely constitutes academic misconduct. But instructors are not always so clear. Your instructor may have given no instruction about ChatGPT, Google Bard, Brainly, QuillBot, Cognii, or other AI tools. Or your instructor may have given an ambiguous or even contradictory instruction, permitting or encouraging AI use at one moment or among some students while prohibiting or discouraging it at another moment or among other students. If you find yourself facing academic misconduct charges in such a situation where you reasonably believed you were acting honorably, then let us help you assemble and present that evidence for your best outcome to disciplinary charges. Things are seldom as clear as the disciplinary complaint makes them. Most stories have more than one side. You may have strong exonerating or mitigating evidence. Let us help present that evidence.
Academic Misconduct Procedures and AI Misuse Charges
While your school doubtless has some form of academic misconduct policy, it should also have misconduct procedures. Generally, schools must provide some form of due process before adversely affecting a student's educational rights and privileges. Due process means that your school should tell you what wrong it believes you have committed in enough detail for you to rebut the charges. Your school must also provide you with a fair forum to tell your side of the story. Our skilled defense attorneys can help you defend AI misuse charges by taking any or all of the following actions:
- ensuring that your school not only details the charges against you but also discloses its evidence to prove any such charges;
- helping you identify and acquire exonerating and mitigating evidence, including, if necessary, with an electronic forensics expert;
- invoking informal resolution procedures to seek early voluntary dismissal in a compromise fashion with remedial measures;
- requesting and attending a formal hearing at which to challenge the school's evidence and present your own defense;
- appealing any adverse decision to a higher body to overturn erroneous, biased, and unreasonably harsh decisions;
- seeking court review where necessary and appropriate; and
- invoking your school's oversight channels for alternative special relief, even if you have already lost all hearings.
What to Do When Facing AI Misuse Disciplinary Charges
Take these steps if you face AI misuse disciplinary charges. First, preserve everything related to the matter in any way, especially your electronic devices, messages, and files. Second, retain and consult our attorneys before responding to the school's disciplinary officials. Your information should be accurate and complete. We can help you ensure that your disclosures are appropriate and in your best interests. Above all, don't assume your own guilt or assume that your school suspension or expulsion is necessary or appropriate. We have helped hundreds of students save their education against serious misconduct charges.
Premier Academic Misconduct Defense Available
Retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team if you face academic misconduct charges at the high school or higher education level, over ChatGPT, or use of another AI program or online tool. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to get our help.
