English and AI

Illustration of brain composed of circuits

This page presents the department's policies on the use of Generative AI. It contains the following sections:

Department of English Language and Literature Statement on Generative AI

The Department of English Language and Literature recognizes that Generative AI (GenAI) platforms running Large Language Models (LLMs) present specific challenges to our discipline. Our department’s mandate is rooted in fostering critical language and interpretive skills developed through close reading, careful writing, and deliberative human discourse. GenAI platforms can disrupt the development of these skills in the name of efficiency by automating the writing process, restricting the time required for critical thinking, and redirecting discourse to AI chatbots. Moreover, these platforms rely on the unauthorized use of published work and frequently invent, misquote, and misattribute sources, thereby modelling violations of academic integrity outlined in the University’s Policy 71. We also recognize the ethical issues related to GenAI, including environmental impacts, academic freedom restrictions, and unjust labour practices. 

Our Department celebrates critical and creative engagement with new technologies, aiming to prepare students for long-term agency and competency with evolving communication paradigms. This policy expresses our commitment to fostering that engagement while focusing on core skills such as critical thinking, self-expression, and creative and critical writing. To this end, the Department offers specific guidelines for students and instructors regarding the use of GenAI in both undergraduate and graduate studies. The Department also supports the right of each instructor to set GenAI policies for their courses. We understand that features of LLM platforms can change rapidly, and as a result, this living document may be updated in the future.

Graduate Policy on the Use of Generative AI

As outlined in the Department of English Language and Literature’s Statement on Generative AI above, our Department recognizes the potential for Large Language Models to disrupt the principles of our discipline. This policy reflects those principles while a) adhering to the codes of academic integrity outlined in Policy 71; and b) respecting the guidance on Generative AI for students and supervisors provided by the Office of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA). It is the responsibility of all graduate students and instructors to familiarize themselves with these documents. 

Our primary directive for Graduate Students is disclosure, following best practices promoted by professional organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the Modern Language Association. The Department values culminating projects toward a MA or PhD that represent sustained, original, and self-directed intellectual contributions. Any use of GenAI should be discussed between student and instructor or supervisor before its use, including the development of projects that openly experiment with GenAI. 

Instructors/Supervisors have the right to prohibit specific uses of GenAI.

Students are responsible for all information they use from Generative AI; in addition to disclosing and discussing use, they should verify sources listed by GenAI searches, including not just titles but citations and entire primary texts produced by the platform. Further guidance on how to cite and format GenAI use can be found through professional organizations:

Undergraduate Policy on the Use of Generative AI

The Department of English Language and Literature expects its undergraduate students to produce original writing and design work based on critical thinking, methodical research, and creative practices supported by coursework. The use of Generative AI tools by students can challenge these principles by allowing them to produce work that is not self-authored and/or is based on false information. Students are responsible for all information they adopt from, or use they make of, GenAI. The misuse or unauthorized use of Generative AI tools can also lead to Academic Misconduct as defined in the University of Waterloo’s Policy 71. To this end, students should familiarize themselves with the following documents:

  • Department of English Language and Literature’s Statement on Generative AI (above)
  • Policy 71

Students are responsible for understanding and following their instructors’ policies on the use of AI, which may include a complete ban on AI use for assignments. When AI use is allowed in a course, students must follow the instructor’s rules about the contexts in which AI use is allowed and should disclose use early on, through discussions with instructors, and provide transparent information about research practices by means of formal citation. Students should verify sources listed by GenAI searches, including not just titles but citations and entire primary texts produced by the platform. Further guidance on how to disclose and format GenAI use can be found through professional organizations.