AI-Guidelines FAQ

No, the policy currently only applies to doctorate's, master's, and bachelor's theses. According to § 2 Abs. 2, the policy is only recommended for homework, seminar papers, and lab reports. For these works, the policies of the individual chairs apply.

Generally, all AI-based generative tools used must be disclosed. When in doubt, it's better to disclose one too many than to omit any. Remember, the version number of the tools used must also be disclosed.

In the text underlying the policy, the work "prompt" is used multiple times. While it generally refers to the task set for the AI tool, the policy also implicitly requires its response. Therefore, if required to disclose prompts, both the question and the resulting outcome must be disclosed.

You should save all prompts of copyright relevance. These particularly include prompts that contribute new content. Both the task given to the AI tool and its response must be considered. For example, alphabetizing an existing list or simple unit conversions (e.g., inches to centimenters) are not significant.

How the prompts are stored is up to the author. It is recommended to create Word or LaTex documents, which can then easily be converted to PDF format. These sould then be stored in an appropriate electronic or digital form by the supervising chair. A table should be included in the appendix of the work, detailing the type of use, estimated extent of use, the tools used, its version number, any notes, and a reference to the storage location.

The policy has been effective since its publication on April 4, 2024. No transition period has been defined for students currently writing their thesis. If you were already writing a thesis when the policy came into effect, it is requested that an exchange between you and your supervisor takes place. Bilateral solutions are allowed and encouraged. For new theses, the policy must definitely be followed.

The policy specifies, that personal data must not be included in the prompting. If your work deals with critical data of another nature (e.g., strictly confidential data from a company), these should be treated in the same way. The exact procedure should be discussed with the supervising instructor and the company.

In this case, the statute of the Montanuniversität § 38a, which deals with plagiarism and other misrepresentations of scientific achievements, applies. According to Abs. 4, the Rectorate may decide on a possible exclusion from studies for a maximum of two semesters in cases of severe or intentional plagiraism or severe or intentional misrepresentation of scientific achievements in the context of bachelor's and master's theses, as well as dissertations.