Introduction: The "Submit" Button Anxiety
You finished your assignment. You used ChatGPT to help brainstorm and Grammarly to fix your commas. You think you did everything right, but as your mouse hovers over the "Submit" button, you feel a knot in your stomach.
"Did I use too much AI? Will I get flagged?"
You shouldn't have to guess. Academic integrity isn't a secret code; it is a set of clear standards. By running your work through a simple checklist, you can prove to yourself (and your teachers) that your work is ethical.
Here is the 5-step audit to perform before you turn in any assignment.
1. The Permission Check: "Am I Allowed?"
Before you even open an AI tool, you need to know the rules of the road. Every class is different.
[ ] Did I check the syllabus? Look for an "AI Policy" section. Some classes allow it for brainstorming but ban it for writing.
[ ] Did I ask if I was unsure? If the rules are vague, send a quick email: "Is it okay if I use ChatGPT to outline this paper?".
[ ] Is this a language class? Be extra careful in Spanish or French classes—using AI to translate is almost always considered cheating.
2. The Contribution Check: "Who is the Pilot?"
This is the most important question. Who did the heavy lifting?
[ ] Did I write the drafts myself? If you used AI for an outline, did you type the actual sentences manually?.
[ ] Did I do the thinking? If the AI suggested an idea, did you expand on it, or did you just copy it?
[ ] Can I explain every word? If your teacher points to a complex word in paragraph 3 and asks what it means, can you answer? If not, remove it.
3. The Verification Check: "Is It Real?"
AI tools like ChatGPT are known to "hallucinate"—they invent facts, dates, and books that don't exist.
[ ] Did I click every link? If the AI gave you a URL, did you click it to make sure it works?.
[ ] Did I verify the citations? Did you find the actual book or article the AI mentioned? (Use a tool like Perplexity or Google Scholar to check).
[ ] Is the logic sound? AI often sounds confident even when it is wrong. Did you double-check the math or historical dates?
4. The Privacy Check: "Is My Data Safe?"
Students often forget that free AI tools collect data.
[ ] Did I remove personal info? Ensure you didn't paste your name, address, or student ID into the chatbot.
[ ] Did I protect others' privacy? Never upload a classmate's work or a teacher's private lecture notes into a public AI tool.
5. The Disclosure Check: "Did I Admit It?"
Transparency is your shield. If you disclose your usage, you cannot be accused of hiding it.
[ ] Did I cite the AI? If you quoted the AI directly, did you follow the APA/MLA citation format?.
[ ] Did I include a disclosure statement? Did you add a note at the end saying, "I used AI for brainstorming and grammar checking"?.
[ ] Did I save my receipts? do you have the version history or a link to the chat log saved in case you need to prove your innocence?.
Conclusion: The "Sleep at Night" Test
If you checked every box on this list, you can hit "Submit" with confidence.
Academic integrity isn't just about avoiding trouble; it's about pride. It's knowing that even if you used a calculator, you solved the math problem. Even if you used a GPS, you drove the car.
