AI-generated work should be disclosed to ensure transparency: IIT Delhi to students, faculty

New Delhi: Work or content generated with the assistance of AI tools should be fully disclosed to ensure transparency and maintain academic integrity, IIT Delhi told students and faculty in its guidelines on responsible use of artificial intelligence.

IIT Delhi is the first Indian Institute of Technology to formally announce a set of guidelines for the use of AI, clearing the air on what amounts to ethical use of the new technology so that academic work is pursued without any unintended consequences, according to officials.

The guidelines have been prepared on recommendations of a panel that found in an internal survey that at least 80 per cent of students and 77 per cent of faculty members have been using AI tools.

"GenAI tools are gaining significant traction in academic spaces, embraced by students, faculty members and staff alike for their ability to generate information that is contextually fitting in many instances. The widespread adoption of these tools is prompting educators and administrators to reconsider how they reshape classroom teaching, design assignments and exams and determine more effective methods of assessment," IIT Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee said.

"While these tools offer potential benefits such as providing personalised, real-time feedback and customised learning experience, there are also significant concerns. With the growing adoption of Gen AI tools, there is an urgent need for educational institutions to establish guidelines that sensitise and instruct students and faculty members on fair and appropriate use," he added.

The panel noted that its report has outlined broad guidelines for the responsible use of Gen AI tools so that academic goals are advanced thoughtfully without unintended consequences.

"Any work or content generated with the assistance of AI tools should be fully disclosed to ensure transparency and maintain academic integrity. Specifically, if AI tools are used to create distinct elements—such as images, tables, data visualisations, or significant sections of text—this use should be noted as such. Such disclosure can be incorporated into captions, footnotes, or a statement within the work," the report said.

Students, faculty members and researchers have been advised that they should assume full responsibility for verifying the accuracy of their work and proactive measures should be undertaken to confirm that the content is free from plagiarism.

"All users should exercise caution when inputting data or queries into AI tools, as these inputs could potentially become publicly accessible. Before utilising such tools, users should thoroughly screen any information to identify and exclude sensitive or private details. This includes personally identifiable information (PII), confidential institutional data, and any other content that could compromise privacy or security if exposed," the report said.