How to Disclose AI Usage in Your Thesis

Why Your Thesis Needs an AI Disclosure

If you used ChatGPT to brainstorm your research questions, GitHub Copilot to write analysis code, or Grammarly to polish your prose, your thesis committee probably wants to know about it. A growing number of universities now require students to declare any AI tool usage in their dissertations and theses. Even if your institution has not yet issued a formal policy, adding a clear disclosure protects you from accusations of academic dishonesty down the road.

The good news is that disclosing AI usage does not mean admitting to cutting corners. It means you are being transparent about your research process, which is exactly what good scholarship looks like.

Where to Place Your AI Disclosure

Most universities that have issued guidance suggest one of three locations for your AI disclosure statement.

After the acknowledgments page. This is the most common placement. Your acknowledgments section already thanks the people who helped you. A short AI disclosure section that follows it feels natural and is easy for examiners to find.

As a dedicated appendix. If you used AI tools extensively across different parts of your thesis, a separate appendix gives you room to describe each use case in detail. This works well for theses where AI played a role in multiple chapters.

In the methods section. When AI tools were part of your research methodology (for example, using an LLM for qualitative coding or a generative model for data augmentation), the methods section is the right place to document that usage alongside your other methodological choices.

Some universities require a signed declaration form. Check your institution's graduate school website for the most current guidance.

What Information to Include

A useful AI disclosure answers four questions.

1. Which tools did you use? Name the specific tools, including version information where possible. "ChatGPT (GPT-4, OpenAI, accessed January through March 2026)" is much better than "an AI tool."

2. What did you use them for? Be specific about the tasks. Literature search, brainstorming, code generation, text editing, data analysis, and figure creation are all different activities with different implications.

3. How did you verify the output? This is the part many students forget. Explain how you checked AI-generated content for accuracy, whether you reviewed generated code through testing, or how you validated AI-assisted analysis against manual methods.

4. What was your own contribution? Make clear what intellectual work was yours. The AI may have helped you draft a paragraph, but you designed the study, interpreted the results, and built the argument.

Example Disclosure Statements

Here are three examples calibrated to different levels of AI involvement.

Minimal AI Usage (Brainstorming and Editing)

I used ChatGPT (GPT-4, OpenAI) during the early stages of this thesis to brainstorm potential research questions and to identify gaps in the existing literature. I also used Grammarly for grammar and style suggestions on the final draft. All research design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation are entirely my own work. AI-generated suggestions were evaluated critically and many were discarded.

Moderate AI Usage (Code Generation and Writing Assistance)

Several AI tools supported the completion of this thesis. I used GitHub Copilot (GitHub/OpenAI) to accelerate the writing of Python scripts for data preprocessing in Chapter 4. All generated code was reviewed, tested, and modified by me. I used ChatGPT (GPT-4) to suggest outlines for Chapters 2 and 3, though the final structure and all written content are my own. DeepL Write assisted with improving the clarity of selected passages in English, which is not my first language. Full details of AI tool usage by chapter are provided in Appendix B.

Extensive AI Usage (AI as Part of the Methodology)

This thesis investigates the use of large language models for automated essay scoring, and as such, AI systems are both the subject and a tool of this research. GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 were used as the scoring models evaluated in Chapters 5 and 6. Separately, I used ChatGPT to assist with writing data processing scripts (Chapter 4) and to generate initial drafts of the related work section (Chapter 2), which I then substantially revised and verified against primary sources. All model evaluations, statistical analyses, and theoretical arguments are my own. A complete AI Usage Card documenting all tool usage is attached as Appendix C.

Notice how the third example carefully distinguishes between AI as a research subject and AI as a writing tool. This distinction matters.

A LaTeX Template for Your Thesis

You can add an AI disclosure section to your LaTeX thesis using the following template. Place it after your acknowledgments or as an appendix.

\chapter*{Declaration of AI Tool Usage}
\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Declaration of AI Tool Usage}
 
In the preparation of this thesis, the following AI-based tools
were used:
 
\begin{enumerate}
    \item \textbf{ChatGPT (GPT-4, OpenAI)} -- Used for brainstorming
    research questions (Chapter 1) and refining written expression
    throughout the thesis. All outputs were critically reviewed and
    rewritten in my own words.
 
    \item \textbf{GitHub Copilot (GitHub/OpenAI)} -- Used to
    accelerate Python code development for data analysis
    (Chapter 4). All code was tested and verified by me.
 
    \item \textbf{DeepL Write} -- Used for grammar and style
    improvements in selected passages.
\end{enumerate}
 
I confirm that all intellectual contributions, including research
design, analysis, interpretation, and argumentation, are my own
work.
 
\vspace{1cm}
\noindent [City], [Date] \hfill [Your Name]

For a more structured and machine-readable approach, you can generate an AI Usage Card at ai-cards.org and include it as an appendix.

\appendix
\chapter{AI Usage Card}
% Include the AI Usage Card generated at ai-cards.org
\includepdf[pages=-]{ai-usage-card.pdf}

What Makes a Bad Disclosure

Vague statements hurt more than they help. Here are some examples of what not to write.

Too vague. "AI tools were used in the preparation of this thesis." This tells the reader nothing. Which tools? For what purpose? In which chapters?

Dismissive. "AI was only used for minor edits." If your committee later discovers extensive usage, this phrasing looks like you were hiding something.

No verification statement. "ChatGPT wrote the literature review in Chapter 2." Without explaining how you checked the AI output for accuracy, this raises serious concerns about the reliability of your work.

A good disclosure is specific, honest, and demonstrates that you maintained intellectual control over your thesis.

University Policies Are Changing Fast

As of early 2026, most major research universities have published policies on AI usage in student work. These policies vary significantly. Some universities ban generative AI entirely for assessed coursework but permit it in theses with disclosure. Others allow AI assistance at all levels as long as it is documented. A few have adopted tiered systems where different levels of AI usage require different levels of disclosure.

The safest approach is to check your university's current policy, talk to your supervisor, and err on the side of over-disclosure. No examiner has ever penalized a student for being too transparent.

Using AI Usage Cards for Standardized Disclosure

If your university does not provide a specific template, the AI Usage Cards generator at ai-cards.org offers a structured format that covers all the information thesis committees typically want to see. You fill in the details about which tools you used, for which tasks, and how you verified the outputs. The generator produces a clean, standardized document you can include as a thesis appendix.

This approach has two advantages. First, it prompts you to think through each category of AI usage systematically, so you are less likely to forget something. Second, it produces a format that is becoming recognized across institutions, which makes it easier for examiners to quickly find the information they need.

Whether you use a free-form disclosure statement, a LaTeX template, or a generated AI Usage Card, the most important thing is to be honest and specific. Your thesis represents years of work. A clear AI disclosure protects that work and demonstrates the kind of scholarly integrity that will serve you well throughout your research career.