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Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Understand what AI is, what instructors and students should be aware of, and how to evaluate and cite AI-generated content.
Currency of Information: AI tools are continuously evolving. We are doing our best to ensure this guide is accurate and up to date and will be updating information as it emerges. If you find discrepancies or outdated information, please email library@jibc.ca. 

Generative AI Tools and Academic Assignments

Speak with your instructor before using generative AI tool, such as ChatGPT, to help complete assignments. 

If your instructor has not specified you may use ChatGPT or other generative AI technology, or has specifically stated you cannot use these tools, using these tools to complete a portion or whole of your assignment will be considered academic misconduct.

If your instructor has permitted the use of generative AI tools, make sure you understand exactly what is permitted for a specific assignment

Introduction

GenAI tools like ChatGPT are really good at creating or producing new content, from quick answers to short stories or even complete essays. Unfortunately, not all the information from these tools is correct or accurate. It’s important to remember that GenAI does not understand the content it creates, it is only generating information based on its training material and your input.

This page offers practical strategies to help you assess the quality and reliability of AI-generated content. These techniques will support your ability to think critically, verify information, and assess whether the content is accurate, appropriate, and useful for academic work. This helps you decide when and how AI fits into your academic work.

Fact Check Everything

AI tools may present made-up statistics, incorrect definitions, or oversimplified concepts as if they were true. Because AI doesn’t truly understand content, it can repeat popular misconceptions or fabricate information with confidence.

What can you do?

  • Verify all facts and data using reliable academic sources like textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, or library databases.
  • Use tools like JIBC’s Library portal or Google Scholar to confirm claims.

Look for Disclaimers

Some GenAI tools provide disclaimers about their knowledge cutoff, limitations, or inability to access real-time data. Ignoring these can lead to using outdated or incomplete information in your academic work.

What can you do?

  • Read the tool’s disclaimer (often found near the chat input or in the FAQ).
  • Be cautious with questions that involve recent events, evolving research, or legal/policy information.
  • If the AI doesn’t mention its limitations, assume it has them.

Identify Obvious Errors or Red Flags

Sometimes AI makes obvious errors: citing fake books, misnaming people or places, or contradicting itself. These are red flags that the rest of the content may also be flawed or unreliable.

What can you do?

  • Scan for inconsistencies, logical gaps, or “too good to be true” claims.
  • If something feels off, ask follow-up questions or check it yourself using trusted sources.
  • When using AI to brainstorm or outline, treat it as a draft, not a final product.

Check for Source Transparency

GenAI tools may mention sources vaguely or not at all. Even when citations are provided, they might be incomplete, fabricated, or incorrectly formatted. In academic work, being able to trace where information comes from is essential.

What can you do?

  • Ask the AI to list its sources—but always double-check them yourself.
  • Look up every citation in a library database, Google Scholar, or a trusted academic journal.
  • If no sources are given, treat the information as unverified until confirmed elsewhere

License and Attribution

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Unless otherwise noted, this guide is licensed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License).