Universities / University College London (UCL)
University College London (UCL) AI acknowledgement
UCL expects students to acknowledge (not cite) GenAI whenever it was used as a functional tool in creating academic work, in an Appendix or Methods section that names the tool, version, publisher, URL and a one-sentence description of use. Each assessment sits in one of three categories set by the module leader, and departments can ask for more detail such as prompts and outputs.
Checked against University College London (UCL)'s own pages on 9 October 2026 · See the full rules
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University College London (UCL)'s own wording
Example: "I acknowledge the use of Microsoft Copilot (version GPT-4, Microsoft, https://m365.cloud.microsoft/chat) to summarise my initial notes and to proofread my final draft."
Quoted from University College London (UCL)'s guidance. The generator below fills this format in for you.
The rules at a glance
- When you need one
- Whenever GenAI was used as a functional tool to help create the work (e.g. drafting ideas, planning or structuring). May not be needed for familiarising yourself with a topic, reading AI summaries of search results, or improving grammar and writing structure; teaching staff decide per task.
- Framework
- UCL three categories of GenAI use in assessment: 1 cannot be used / 2 assistive role / 3 integral role (staff guidance, not formal policy). Default if no instructions: assistive use.
- Where it goes
- An 'Appendix' or 'Methods' section, placed at the beginning or end of the document; not counted in the word count unless the assignment or department says otherwise.
- Prompts and outputs
- Prompts, dates and outputs are optional extras that a department, programme or assignment may require; students should correctly document their use and retain drafts to evidence their process.
- Referencing
- Generally do not cite GenAI or list it in the reference list (it is not an author). Exceptions: when the work is about GenAI outputs, a formally published AI output, department requirement, or no primary source found; then treat it as a work with no author. If the required style (e.g. APA, Chicago) has GenAI rules, follow them in addition to the acknowledgement.
- Must include
- name and version of the GenAI system (e.g. Microsoft Copilot (version GPT-4))
- publisher (company that made it, e.g. Microsoft, OpenAI)
- URL of the GenAI system
- brief one-sentence description of the context in which it was used
- if the department requires: prompt(s), date generated, output obtained (e.g. link to chat or compiled output), and how the output was changed (e.g. tracked changes or a descriptive paragraph)
- Also note
- follow the category and instructions the module leader sets for each assessment
- do not use GenAI to write the whole assessment or gain unfair advantage; use beyond what the brief permits is plagiarism
- grammar/spelling checks are usually fine unless the tool rewrites a large part of the work
- critically evaluate output and check any quotations or citations it creates
- do not upload sensitive data without meeting UCL data protection requirements
- markers may hold an investigatory viva if authorship is in doubt
Sources
- https://library-guides.ucl.ac.uk/referencing-plagiarism/acknowledging-AI
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/generative-ai-hub/three-categories-genai-use-assessment
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/study/current-students/exams-and-assessments/assessment-success-guide/engaging-generative-ai-your-education-and-assessment
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