Source: JD Supra

JD Supra reports on emerging judicial precedents regarding the use of ChatGPT in educational settings. A landmark ruling in Europe has clarified that students using AI to generate their assignments are committing an act of deception, even in the absence of an explicit platform-specific ban in the school’s code of conduct. The court reasoned that academic assessments are based on the fundamental requirement of "personal performance" (prestazione personale). By submitting AI-generated text as their own, students mislead educators about their actual mastery of the subject matter, which constitutes a breach of academic integrity.

This judicial approach shifts the focus from technical prohibitions to the nature of the student-teacher contract. The ruling emphasizes that the use of tools that bypass individual effort inherently violates the evaluation criteria of the educational system. As schools and universities across the globe struggle with widespread AI-assisted cheating, this legal interpretation provides a basis for administrators to issue sanctions without waiting for updated regulations. The case highlights that while AI is a powerful tool, its use in completing graded work without disclosure is legally considered a form of fraud against the institution.