Guiding Principle
AI may support student learning, but it may not replace the student’s own work. The dividing line is that students may not insert AI-generated code (e.g., copying and pasting or using agent mode in VSCode) into their projects. All final code must be written manually by the student.
Allowed Uses of AI
Students may use AI tools for the following purposes:
- Ideation & conceptual support (brainstorming, explanations, pseudocode guidance).
- Improving understanding (alternative explanations, debugging strategies, API insights).
- Syntax assistance & autocomplete (GitHub Copilot autocomplete, IDE autocomplete). Short autocomplete suggestions are fine; this is not the same as generating whole functions or files with AI, which is prohibited.
- Pseudocode usage, provided that students independently translate it into real code.
Prohibited Uses of AI
Students may not:
- Copy and paste AI-generated code.
- Use agentic AI to modify files or insert code.
- Submit AI-written code as original work.
- Provide assignment prompts to AI to receive completed solutions.
TA Support
TAs may help you debug your own code. If you cannot explain what a piece of code does or why you wrote it that way — including code an AI tool suggested or helped you write — do not ask the TA to debug it for you.
Rationale
This course emphasizes systems-level thinking, debugging, and comprehension. Copying AI-generated code bypasses these learning objectives, while guided explanation supports them.
Recommended Workflow for Students
- Think before consulting AI.
- Use AI for explanations or strategies, not code.
- Translate pseudocode yourself.
- Write code manually.
- Use autocomplete responsibly.
- Test and understand all logic.