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Generative Artificial Intelligence

This guide offers information to help Library users learn basic information about AI, and make choices about using AI tools in academic work.

Copyright Policies and Generative AI

Content produced by Artificial Intelligence can not be granted copyright protection. As of August 2023, the US Copyright Office stipulates that copyrighted material must have a human author, and prompting an AI tool to create content does not count as human authorship. In March 2023, the Copyright Office launched an initiative to examine copyright law in relation to AI, so there is a possibility that this policy may change in the future. 

Many AI models are trained using copyrighted content scraped from the Internet. It is unclear if this use is considered copyright infringement, as this form of reuse could be protected under fair use.  Several lawsuits have been filed against AI companies, and the outcomes of those cases may shape new policies and practices related to intellectual property and generative AI.  

Publisher Policies on Generative AI

Some publishers have issued policies on the use of artificial intelligence in scholarly publications. It is a good idea to check with a publisher before including AI generated content in work that you intend to submit for publication. Here are the guidelines from some major publishers: