Code of conduct and transparency statement on the use of GenAI for KU Leuven-students (academic year 2025-2026)

Generative AI (GenAI) assistance tools can be used to generate various types of content, including text, images, code, video, music, or combinations thereof. Common
examples of such tools include ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Midjourney, [Link], [Link], and DALL·E, among others.

This code of conduct is a tool that helps students to be transparent about the use of GenAI and fits within the university’s principles on academic integrity.

Important guidelines and remarks

- Sensitive or personal data: Some GenAI tools protect your input and sensitive or personal data better than others. There is often no transparency on what the owners
of the AI applications do with the data entered. Therefore, do not enter sensitive or personal data in free GenAI tools. More info about what sensitive and personal
data are, is described in the three confidentiality levels of the KU Leuven data classification model (non-confidential, confidential, strictly confidential). For confidential
data you should preferably use M365 Copilot Chat with your KU Leuven account. If you use another GenAI tool, you must be absolutely certain it does not store or
reuse the data you enter. Try to avoid entering these data. Do so only if strictly necessary, and only to the extent required. For personal data, work with anonymous
or pseudonymized data. Additionally, in case of strictly confidential data this should first be discussed with the teaching staff of the course or your thesis supervisor.
- Copyrighted materials: For lawfully obtained copyrighted material you should preferably use M365 Copilot Chat with your KU Leuven account. If you use another
GenAI tool, you must be absolutely certain it does not store or reuse the data you enter.
- GenAI assistance may not be used for data or topics covered by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Even in the absence of an NDA, certain information may still need
to be treated as confidential—for example, due to regulatory requirements or the risk of significant harm to the university if disclosed. In case of doubt, check with your
teaching staff or supervisor.
- If your master’s thesis is under embargo, you should first discuss with your supervisor whether the use of GenAI is permitted.
- Before using a GenAI tool, always consider whether its use is responsible, including from a sustainability perspective (e.g. when using GenAI as a search engine,
language assistant,…).
- Take a scientific and critical attitude when interacting with GenAI assistance and interpreting its output, that may not always be correct.
- As a student you are responsible for complying with Article 84 of the Regulations on Education and Examinations: your report or thesis should reflect your own
knowledge, understanding and skills. Be aware that plagiarism rules also apply to (work that is the result of) the use of GenAI assistance tools.
Exam Regulations Article 84: “Every conduct individual students display with which they (partially) inhibit or attempt to inhibit a correct
judgement of their own knowledge, understanding and/or skills or those of other students, is considered an irregularity which may result in a
suitable penalty. A special type of irregularity is plagiarism, i.e. copying the work (ideas, texts, structures, designs, images, plans, codes , ...) of
others or prior personal work in an exact or slightly modified way without adequately acknowledging the sources. Every possession of prohibited
resources during an examination (see article 65) is considered an irregularity.”

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GenAI code of conduct and transparency statement for students 2025-2026
- In order to maintain academic integrity and avoid plagiarism, more information about being transparent on the use of GenAI assistance and about correctly citing and
referencing GenAI can be found on this website for students (Dutch/English).
- Additional reading: KU Leuven guidelines on responsible use of Generative AI tools, and other information (Dutch/English)

A few final words

If you are uncertain whether or not you should declare your use of GenAI tools, we suggest that you discuss this with your instructor or supervisor. It is always safer to
declare GenAI use, even when it is not strictly required. However, declaring GenAI use does not entail that its use is allowed; the right column in the table below provides
more detailed instructions in this regard (code of conduct).

Moreover, advanced AI tools are evolving rapidly, and their capabilities have expanded significantly in a short period of time. As a result, we do not yet have all the answers
about their responsible use. Finally, it is important to follow-up on the most recent evolutions in AI technologies, to have an open mind but also to be a bit cautious, to
communicate with instructors, teaching assistants, supervisors and peers, to be as transparent as we can, and to learn together as we move along.

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GenAI code of conduct and transparency statement for students 2025-2026
Student name: Dries Melotte ............................................................................................... Student number: r0948553

Please indicate with "X" whether it relates to a course assignment or to the Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis:

O This form is related to a course assignment.

Course name: ................................................................................. Course number: ………………………………………

This form is related to my O Bachelor’s or X Master’s thesis.

Title Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis: Smart CAM planning with on-machine optical measurement .. Supervisor: Wim Dewulf……………………..…

Daily supervisor: Thomas Van Riel...........................................................................................

Please indicate with "X":

O I did not use any GenAI assistance tool.

X I did use GenAI Assistance. In this case specify which ones (e.g. ChatGPT, M365 Copilot,...): [Link], ChatGPT

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GenAI code of conduct and transparency statement for students 2025-2026
 Name of the GenAI tool(s) used.
GenAI assistance used as/for: If helpful, also describe in which way you were using GenAI Code of conduct:
related to what is specified as code of conduct.
For each of the categories below, always take into account the
important guidelines and remarks mentioned above (e.g.
copyrighted data, sensitive or personal data,…).
As a language assistant for [Link] This use is similar to using spelling and grammar check tools. In
reviewing or improving texts I general, you do not have to refer to such kind of GenAI use in the
wrote myself text.
However, be careful:
- When using GenAI tools on texts you did not write yourself
to improve the text, you have to refer to the original
source or author, otherwise you are committing
plagiarism and thus an irregularity.
As a paraphrasing tool [Link] This use is allowed except when it is prohibited by the teacher or
the program of study. You may paraphrase your own text or texts
by an author other than yourself and take inspiration from what a
GenAI tool or another tool suggests (unless it is not allowed). In
general, you do not have to refer to such kind of GenAI use or
other paraphrasing tools in the text.
However, be careful:
- If it entails text by an author other than yourself, you are
not allowed to include that paraphrased text without
reference to the original source or author. Without such
reference, you would be committing plagiarism and thus
an irregularity.

For translation aid to improve texts [Link] This use is allowed except when it is prohibited by the teacher or
I wrote myself or to better the program of study. It is similar to using translation tools (Google
understand text from others translate, DeepL, …). In general, you do not have to refer to such
kind of GenAI use in the text.
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GenAI code of conduct and transparency statement for students 2025-2026
 However, be careful:
- You are not allowed to include that translated text
without reference to the original source or author.
Without such reference, you would be committing
plagiarism and thus an irregularity.

- Always check the translated text for correctness and

meaning.
As a search engine to get [Link], ChatGPT This use is similar to e.g. a Google search or checking Wikipedia. If
information on a topic or to search you write your own text based on this information, you do not
for existing research on the topic have to refer to the use of GenAI in the text. You only have to
refer to the existing research and references you have checked
and used (without such references you would be committing
plagiarism and thus committing an irregularity).
However, be careful:
- Be aware that the output of the GenAI tool cannot be
guaranteed as a 100% reliable source of information. The
output may not be entirely correct and/or be limited due
to the databases it uses. Moreover, knowledge evolves
and may change over time; therefore, the database of the
GenAI tool may not be up to date. Therefore, verify the
information and do not just copy-paste it as you should
understand and critically process everything you are
writing.
For literature search [Link], ChatGPT This use is comparable to e.g. a Google Scholar search. You do not
have to refer to such kind of GenAI use; you only have to refer to
the literature references you have checked and used (without
such references you would be committing plagiarism and thus
committing an irregularity)..
However, be careful:
- Be aware that the search output is restricted to the
database the GenAI tool is built on. After this initial search,
look for scientific sources and conduct your own analysis
of the source documents. Interpret, analyse and process
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GenAI code of conduct and transparency statement for students 2025-2026
 the information you obtained; verify it and do not just
copy-paste it as you should understand and critically
process everything you are writing.
- Be aware that some GenAI tools may output no or wrong
references. As a student you are responsible for further
checking and verifying the absence or correctness of
references; do not just copy-paste it.
For generating programming code [Link] Use of GenAI for coding is allowed except when it is prohibited by
the teacher or the program of study. If used for coding, correctly
mention the use of GenAI assistance in accordance with the
instructions on the page on being transparant about the use of
GenAI.
For generating new (research) ideas [Link] This use of GenAI is allowed except when it is prohibited by the
teacher or the program of study. Correctly mention the use of
GenAI assistance in accordance with the instructions on the page
on being transparant about the use of GenAI.
Be careful:
- Further verify in this case whether the idea is novel or not.
It is likely that it is related to existing work. If so, that
existing work should be correctly referenced in the text
(without such reference you would be committing
plagiarism and thus committing an irregularity).
-
For generating synthetic data Use of GenAI for generating synthetic data is allowed, provided
that it is methodologically and ethically justifiable, except when it
is prohibited by the teacher or the program of study. Always
correctly mention the use of GenAI assistance in accordance with
the instructions on the page on being transparant about the use of
GenAI.
Be careful:
- Always carefully evaluate the generated synthetic data for
quality and possible bias since the output is highly
dependent on the quality of the data on which the models
are trained.
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GenAI code of conduct and transparency statement for students 2025-2026
 For generating blocks of text According to Article 84 of the Regulations on Education and
(other than the allowed use without Examinations your text should allow to correctly and properly
referencing mentioned above) assess your own knowledge, understanding and skills. Therefore,
inserting blocks of text without quotes and a reference to GenAI
assistance in your work is not allowed.
Be careful:
- If it is really needed to insert a block of text from a GenAI
tool, for instance because of the nature of your
assignment, mention it as a citation by using quotes and
correctly mention the use of GenAI assistance in
accordance with the instructions page on being
transparant about the use of GenAI.
- However, in general, such GenAI use should be kept to an
absolute minimum; you should always check the original
sources.
For generating visuals, video or [Link] Use of GenAI for generating visuals, audio or video is allowed
audio except when it is prohibited by the teacher or the program of
study.
Be careful:
- If used, refer to GenAI for visuals according to the usual
referencing style, following the instructions on the page
on referencing GenAI.
- If you work with existing visuals, audio or video, that
existing work should be correctly referenced in the text
(without such reference you would be committing
plagiarism and thus an irregularity).
- Explain the usage in the methods section (if there is one)
and optionally attach (or link to) the prompts with the full
output (or history).
Other use (specify here; this may To make sure other use of GenAI is allowed within the course or
also include a combination of types thesis, and if so, the conditions that may apply, contact the
of use mentioned above): teaching staff of the course or the supervisor of the thesis
beforehand and explain the intended GenAI use. Also inform the
programme director.
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GenAI code of conduct and transparency statement for students 2025-2026
 Motivate how you would comply with Article 84 of the exam
regulations. Explain the use and the added value of the AI tool you
consider to use and how it is in accordance with the assignment or
thesis and the KU Leuven guidelines on responsible use of
Generative AI tools.
Depending on the kind of GenAI use, it may be needed to properly
reference it in the text, in accordance with the instructions page
on being transparant about the use of GenAI.

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GenAI code of conduct and transparency statement for students 2025-2026