Who it applies to
All Students
Current Effective Date
08/11/2026
Original Approval Date
08/11/2026
Approving Committee
Curriculum Committee
Approving Committee Revision/Reaffirmed Date(s)
08/11/2026

It is the policy of the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix that students understand and adhere to established principles and guidelines for the appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools during their education. These principles and guidelines for AI use include ethical considerations, responsible usage, proper citation of AI tools, and HIPAA compliance in clinical documentation. Site specific policies and guidelines must also be followed when appropriate. 

Section One: Definitions
Section Two: Principles of Appropriate Use of AI
Section Three: Guidelines for Using AI
Section Four: Compliance and Review

Section One: Definitions

  1. AI, AI Tools: Products of the branch of computer science dealing with the reproduction or mimicking of human-level intelligence, self-awareness, knowledge, conscience, thought, and creativity in computer programs. Examples include, but are not limited to, ChatGPT, Claude, and OpenEvidence. 
  2. HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
  3. PHI: Protected Health Information

Section Two: Principles of Appropriate Use of AI 

  1. Educational Enhancement 
    1. AI tools should supplement learning and enhance educational outcomes, supporting— not replacing—the critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills essential to medical practice. 
    2. Individual policies around AI use may vary by course*. Students are responsible for verifying with course faculty whether the use of AI tools is permissible for specific assignments or tasks.
  2. Transparency and Accountability 
    1. Students are responsible for any AI-generated content they submit, even if flawed or biased. Verification of information and judgement of quality is expected.
    2. Students must be transparent about AI usage and accountable for their work. Any assistance from AI must be acknowledged and properly cited according to institutional guidelines. 
  3.  Patient Confidentiality and Data Security 
    1. The use of AI must comply with HIPAA and other relevant laws regarding patient confidentiality and data security. AI tools used for clinical documentation must be certified as HIPAA-compliant. 
    2. Students must ensure that PHI is only used with approved AI systems and shared in a secure manner. Refer to the following:
      1. University of Arizona AI Tools and Data Use Guide.
  4. Ethical Standards 
    1. Students are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards in their use of AI. This includes avoiding plagiarism, ensuring the accuracy of information, and maintaining professional integrity.

Section Three: Guidelines for Using AI 

  1. Permitted Uses 
    1. Learning and Research: AI may be used for educational purposes, such as studying, researching medical literature, and understanding complex topics. 
    2. Administrative Tasks: AI may assist with non-clinical administrative tasks, such as scheduling and organization. 
    3. Clinical Use: AI tools may be used for clinical knowledge acquisition or when researching clinical questions, and must adhere to the policies and guidelines of the clinical site and/or College of Medicine - Phoenix. The user is responsible for ensuring clinical use of AI is compliant with HIPAA regulations to ensure confidentiality and security of PHI. 
    4. AI Training Set Opt-Out: Students are strongly encouraged to only use AI tools that allow users to opt out of having the data they submit to generative AI be used for the system’s own training. This step is essential to protect data confidentiality and intellectual property.
  2. Prohibited Uses 
    1. Assessments and Assignments: All student contributions to any assessment or assignment must represent the student’s own, original work. Unless explicitly permitted by a course* director, any use of generative AI for an assessment or assignment is prohibited. 
    2. Non-HIPAA-Compliant Tools: AI tools that do not meet HIPAA standards must not be used for processing or storing any form of PHI. 
    3. Histories, physical exams, assessments and plans: AI tools may not be used to write histories, perform physical exams, or create assessments and plans for patient care in the foundational and clinical phases of the curriculum. 
    4. Unauthorized Patient Interaction: AI should not be used in direct patient interactions unless authorized by supervising faculty and in compliance with institutional policies. 
    5. Intellectual Property and Compliance with Terms: When using AI tools, students must ensure that any content they input does not violate intellectual property rights or the terms and conditions governing the AI tool. This includes respecting copyright and any restrictions on licensed content from the institution. Also refer the following:
      1. University of Arizona AI Tools and Data Use Guide.
      2. Use of University-Sponsored Educational Material Policy. 
  3. Explicit Citation and Acknowledgement of AI Use 
    1. Any use of AI tools in assignments, research, clinical documentation, or other academic work must be clearly cited according to institutional guidelines. 
    2. Students must describe the nature and extent of AI assistance, ensuring transparency and ethical responsibility. 

Section Four: Compliance and Review 

  1. Reporting and Enforcement of Violations
    1. Any suspected or evident violations of AI use can be considered a potential professionalism report or honor code violation. Refer to the following policies:
      1. Professionalism Assessment Policy
      2. Honor Code Committee and Procedures and Process for Dismissal

Course* = any component of the curriculum where a grade is earned