GenAI

Ethical considerations

When using any of these GenAI tools it's important to keep in mind the social and ethical implications these tools have on society. We already know that GenAI is moving at an exponential rate and the consequences of this fast-paced environment has already been seen within our university community. When using GenAI consider the below ethical implications and make sure you use your critical thinking mind to evaluate the content.

Select the + symbols below to find out more information about each topic

Academic Integrity and Turnitin

Further information about the use of GenAI tools in your assessment can be found on the Southern Cross Universities Learning Zone  Academic Integrity and Turnitin webpage.

Breaches of Academic Integrity may result in an academic integrity breach with penalties as described in the Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules, Section 3. 

GenAI and Copyright

Copyright law protects a creator's right to be recognised for the work they create (moral rights) and protects how their work can be:

• copied
• communicated (shared)
• performed
• adapted (including translated or remixed).

Copyright laws should be considered before using GenAI tools. Depending on the tool you are using and the output you are creating you may impact on these rights as:

• the AI tool may create a copy, store, and train on the material used as an input
• you may create an unauthorised adaptation, e.g. creating a podcast or translation of a commercially published journal article without seeking permission from the author or checking there is an appropriate licence
• AI tools do not reference the material they have used to create an output.

There are three things to consider before using material in an AI tool:

1. whether you have the right to use the material
2. the type of tool your using
3. terms of use of the AI tool.

Right to use the material

When determining if you have the appropriate rights to upload material to a generative AI tool, consider whether any of the following apply:

• you hold copyright in the work (this applies when you have created the material yourself, except if created in the course of employment)
• you have permission from the copyright owner to use the material in an AI tool
• permission to use the content is provided through a licence or terms of use
• a statutory licence or exception applies, for example:
  • use for the purposes of teaching (Copyright Act s113P, statutory education licence)
  • use for the purpose of personal research and study (Copyright Act s40, exception).

Type of AI tool

Before using an input in an AI tool you will also need to consider whether the tool is a public or private model. It is recommended that you use private models. As an SCU staff or student you have access to the enterprise version of Microsoft Co-Pilot through your Microsoft365 subscription. Staff and students also have access to Primo Research Assistant, which is integrated into the Library's search. Tools such as these do not:

• store material used as an input
• use your data to train the LLM.

They may also have stronger privacy and data protection regulations. 

Terms of use of the AI platform

The terms of use of AI platforms may require you to:

• hold the rights in the work that you submit (see above)
• sublicence the material to the platform
• agree that ownership of the output is assigned to the platform.

In using the tool you agree to any terms and may be liable for misuse or infringement. Some guidance on the terms of use of different AI platforms are provided by the following University libraries:

• Copyright - Generative AI at University - Library Guides at Charles Sturt University
• Generative AI and Copyright - Artificial Intelligence - How do I guides at The University of Adelaide

General guidance on use of material in GenAI models

The following infographic provides a summary to help guide you on the different types of material you can use in AI tools. This information is current as at May 2025.