Instead of Banning AI, a Professor Drafted a Classroom Contract with Students

A professor at an unspecified university opted not to ban AI in the classroom. Instead, they co-created a contract with students that defines how AI tools like ChatGPT can be used in assignments. The contract is built on three pillars: transparency, attribution, and accountability.

Key Terms of the Contract

• Students must disclose any AI tool used and how it was used (e.g., brainstorming, drafting, editing).
• AI-generated text must be cited like any other source, with the prompt and output included in an appendix.
• Students are ultimately responsible for the accuracy and originality of all submitted work.

The professor reports that students appreciated the clarity and felt less pressure to hide AI use. The approach also opens discussions about AI limitations—such as hallucinated facts and biased outputs—as teaching moments.

The article is short on technical specifics, but the core idea is transferable to any educational or workplace setting where AI code agents are used. For developers, similar contracts could govern how AI assistants are used in code reviews, documentation, or test generation.