Plagiarism Issues Prompt UC Berkeley Law School to Ban AI
Plagiarism Issues Prompt UC Berkeley Law School to Ban AI
Publish Date: 2026-05-26 15:46:00
Source Domain: www.govtech.com
- UC Berkeley’s law school will ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for most purposes, going into effect this summer.
- Students will not be allowed to use AI in preparing class assignments or for any exams, except in courses designed to teach the ethical and legal use of AI.
- The policy also prohibits students from using AI for outlining, drafting, revising, translating, or editing any work submitted for credit.
- The current policy, in effect since 2024, has led to misuse including plagiarism, where AI generates case citations that students present as their own work.
- The ban will extend to avoiding repetitive passages, summaries for assignments, and outlines for future exams, though AI can still be used in tutoring and study guides.
- AI will not be allowed in end-of-term exams but may be used under the discretion of teachers who want to provide students more leeway in using the technology.
- The new policy is aimed at fostering students’ analytical skills and preventing the misuse of AI in legal education.