Study
How to Disclose AI Help in Your Writing
Using a writing tool is not the problem most policies worry about; hiding it is. A short, specific disclosure says what the tool did and what you did, and it is easier to write than most people think.
Schools, universities, journals and publishers have spent the last few years writing rules about AI writing tools. The rules differ, sometimes a lot, but nearly all of them share one expectation: if a tool contributed to the work in a way that matters, say so, and take responsibility for the result. This page explains what a good disclosure contains, gives examples you can adapt, and shows how to back it up with a record.
In short
An AI disclosure statement is a short note saying which tool you used, which part of the work it touched, and what you did with its output. Put it where the rule that applies asks for it, keep it specific and plain, and back it with saved prompts, outputs and dated drafts so a reader can check it.
What policies usually ask for
| Setting | Typical expectation | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| School or university course | Follow the course's rule; disclose any permitted use in a note or cover sheet | The syllabus or assignment brief, then the institution's academic integrity page |
| Academic journal | Tools cannot be authors; describe any use in the methods or acknowledgements; authors are responsible for the content | The journal's instructions for authors |
| Workplace or publication | Varies widely; many require disclosure of generated text or images | The editorial or staff policy |
Medical journal editors, for example, ask authors to describe how they used AI tools and state that the tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot take responsibility for the work. International guidance for education makes the same point from the other side: people, not tools, are accountable for what they submit.
Writing the disclosure
A good disclosure is specific, short and in plain language. It names the tool, says which part of the work it touched, and says what you did with its output. Vague statements ("AI was used in preparing this essay") answer nothing; specific ones answer the questions before they are asked.
- For brainstorming: "I used a chatbot to list possible counter-arguments before I planned the essay. The argument, structure and all the writing are my own."
- For language editing: "A grammar tool suggested corrections to spelling and punctuation in my final draft. I accepted some suggestions and rejected others; no sentences were generated."
- For a drafted passage: "The first draft of the second paragraph was generated by a chatbot from my notes, then rewritten by me. The saved exchange is in the appendix."
- For no use: "I did not use any AI writing tools for this work." Some courses ask for this line too.
If you quoted what a tool said, that is a citation as well as a disclosure; the method in quoting a chatbot answer with a proper citation covers it.
AI disclosure statement examples by context
The wording that fits a school essay is too informal for a journal and too long for a news item. The table gives one example sentence per setting, each following the same pattern: the tool, the part of the work, what you did with the output. Adapt the nouns; keep the pattern.
| Context | Example AI disclosure statement | Where it usually goes |
|---|---|---|
| School essay | "I used a chatbot to suggest three possible essay titles and chose one. All planning, research and writing are my own." | A line under the title or on the cover sheet |
| University coursework | "A writing assistant was used to check grammar in the final draft. No text was generated. Prompts and outputs are saved and available on request." | The declaration page or the assignment cover sheet |
| Dissertation or thesis | "An AI transcription tool produced first-pass transcripts of the interviews in Chapter 3, which I then corrected against the recordings. No other AI tool was used." | The declaration page, with detail in the methods chapter |
| Journal article | "During the preparation of this work the authors used a language editing tool to improve readability. The authors reviewed and edited the content and take full responsibility for the publication." | The methods section or the acknowledgements, as the journal's instructions specify |
| News or magazine piece | "This article was researched and written by the reporter. An AI tool was used to summarise a 200-page public report, and every figure quoted was checked against the report." | An editor's note at the foot of the piece |
| Workplace report | "The executive summary was drafted from my notes with an AI writing tool and rewritten by me. The analysis and recommendations are my own." | A footnote on the first page or a line in the covering email |
| Creative writing submission | "No AI tools were used in writing this story." or "An AI tool was used to generate name suggestions for two minor characters." | Wherever the submission form asks; many now have a required field |
A worked example: from vague to specific
A student's first attempt reads: "AI was used in this essay." It is honest and useless, because it answers none of the questions a reader has. The same student's second attempt reads: "I used a chatbot on 12 March to list counter-arguments to my thesis; two of the five it listed appear in section 3, rewritten in my own words. A grammar tool checked spelling in the final draft. No sentences in the essay were generated. The saved chat is in the appendix."
The second version names the tool type, the date, the part of the work (section 3), what was done with the output (rewritten), what was not done (no generated sentences) and where the record is (the appendix). It is four sentences long. Nobody reading it needs to ask a follow-up question, which is the whole test of a disclosure.
Backing the disclosure with a record
Save what the tool produced
Keep the prompts and outputs you used, with dates, in a file next to your drafts.
Mark where the output ended up
In your final draft, highlight any passage that started as tool output, in one colour, in your own copy. If a teacher asks, you can show exactly where it is and how much you changed it.
Keep your drafts and version history
The page on keeping annotated drafts as a process record explains the habit; it is the strongest support any disclosure can have.
When you are not sure whether to disclose
Ask before you submit. Most teachers and editors would much rather answer a question in advance than deal with a surprise afterwards, and asking shows good faith. If you cannot ask, disclose: a short honest note costs nothing when it was not needed. Teachers reviewing the work will read the note alongside your process, as described in the fair authorship review method. The other pages in this study section cover the reading and note-making skills that keep the thinking yours.
The disclosure as part of your writing record
A disclosure is one line in a larger record of how the work was made: the sources you read with your highlights and notes, the drafts saved as the piece grew, a highlight link to the passage behind each claim, and the saved prompts and outputs of any tool. A teacher, editor or reader can check any line of that record, and a disclosure that sits inside it is believed because everything around it can be opened. The highlights kept as a record of reading and writing guides cover the reading half of that record, and exporting your highlights and notes as a record of work shows how to get the marks out of the app and into the folder next to your drafts.
Pitfalls in AI disclosure statements
- Vagueness. "AI tools were used" satisfies nobody. Say which tool type, which part, and what you did with it.
- Over-disclosure that hides the point. A page listing every autocorrect suggestion buries the one fact that matters. Group minor help in one clause and give the substantive use its own sentence.
- Disclosing without a record. A statement you cannot back up with saved prompts, outputs and drafts is a claim, not evidence. Save first, then write the statement.
- Treating the tool as a source. A disclosure is not a citation. If you quote what a tool said, cite it as well; if you rely on a fact it gave you, cite the real source you checked it against.
- Assuming the rule is the same everywhere. The course, the journal and the employer may all differ. Read the specific rule each time and, when it is silent, ask.
Common questions
Do I have to disclose using AI for grammar checking?
It depends on the rule that applies. Many courses and journals do not require disclosure of basic spelling and grammar correction but do for generated text. When in doubt, mention it in one sentence.
Can an AI tool be listed as a co-author?
Journal and publisher policies consistently say no, because a tool cannot take responsibility for the work. Describe its use in the methods or acknowledgements instead.
What should an AI disclosure statement include?
The tool, the part of the work it affected, what you did with its output, and where the record is kept if someone wants to see it.
Where does the disclosure go?
Wherever the rule says: often a note at the end, a cover sheet, the acknowledgements, or the methods section of a paper.
What if my course bans AI tools completely?
Then disclosure does not make use acceptable. Follow the rule, and ask the teacher if you are unsure whether a particular tool counts.
How long should an AI disclosure statement be?
Usually two to four sentences. One names the tool and the part of the work it touched, one says what you did with its output, and one says what was not done or where the record is kept. Longer statements belong in an appendix or a methods section, not in the note itself.