Check University of Pennsylvania AI Policy Online

Review Penn’s official AI guidance, academic-integrity rules, course-specific authorization, and school or program requirements before using AI.

Verified from official university sources

Quick Policy Overview

AI Allowed Depends

Depends on course and program

Disclosure Depends

Depends; often required when use is permitted

Instructor Overrides Yes

Instructors set the rules for their own courses.

Last Updated April 10, 2026

Penn guidance page notes an April 10, 2026 update

Data Status Verified

Checked against official university sources.

1. Summary

Penn treats unauthorized AI as unauthorized assistance under its academic-integrity framework. Individual instructors decide what uses are acceptable, while schools and programs may publish narrower rules.

Hybrid Check primary source.

Use scope: Depends on course and program.

Disclosure: Depends; often required when use is permitted.

Instructor/course rules can override the general university guidance.

Integrity: Penn treats unauthorized AI as unauthorized assistance under its academic-integrity framework.

CETLI tells instructors to define authorized assistance, Wharton materials emphasize citation, and some health-policy programs prohibit everything beyond basic spelling or grammar unless expressly approved.

Check primary source.

2. Why Check This Policy

Penn is worth checking beyond the central guidance because the same AI activity can be treated differently across courses and programs. CETLI tells instructors to define authorized assistance, Wharton materials emphasize citation, and some health-policy programs prohibit everything beyond basic spelling or grammar unless expressly approved. The relevant rule is the narrowest policy that applies to the student’s work.

3. When AI Is Commonly Allowed

Uses that are allowed with disclosure, attribution, or citation.

Only if your instructor allows it for the specific assignment.

4. When AI Is Commonly Restricted

Any AI use treated as unauthorized assistance under course or integrity rules.

Any use that an instructor, school, or program explicitly prohibits.

Always check your course syllabus for specific restrictions.

5. Disclosure Requirements

Depends; often required when use is permitted.

Disclosure depends on the course, school, or assignment rule. If AI use is allowed, instructors may still require attribution or a statement of use.

Where AI use is permitted, disclosure usually takes one of these forms:

A statement or acknowledgement in your submission
A citation of the AI tool, in the format your course requires
A short methods note describing how AI was used

Follow the exact format your instructor or department requires.

6. Sources & References

Official AI policy cetli.upenn.edu — penn ai guidance and policies

Academic integrity policy cetli.upenn.edu — course policies communication

Department & school policies cetli.upenn.edu — generative ai policies academy.wharton.upenn.edu — ai policy medicalethicshealthpolicy.med.upenn.edu — program policies

7. FAQ

Can I use AI for assignments?

Uses that are allowed with disclosure, attribution, or citation.

Do I need to disclose AI use?

Depends; often required when use is permitted.

Can an instructor set stricter rules?

Yes. Course-level or instructor-level rules can be stricter than general guidance.

What happens if I break the rules?

Penn treats unauthorized AI as unauthorized assistance under its academic-integrity framework.