Did you use ChatGPT, Copilot, Grammarly’s AI features or another generative tool while working on your thesis, and if so, how do you say it? An AI disclosure statement is the short declaration that tells examiners which tools you used, for what, and how you checked the output. Many universities now require one, and a missing or vague statement can turn a permitted use into a misconduct question.
This article is part of our guide How to Write a Master’s Thesis by the Mastermind PhD team and relates to our Academic Proofreading & Review service. Sources last checked: November 2026.
This guide explains what universities ask for, where the statement goes, what it must contain, and gives six templates you can adapt. Always check your own university’s policy first, because the rules differ.
What is an AI disclosure statement? An AI disclosure statement (also called an AI declaration or AI acknowledgement) is a short section of a thesis that names the generative AI tools used, describes the tasks they were used for, and confirms that the author reviewed the output and takes responsibility for the final text. It is separate from citing AI output that you quote in the body of the thesis.
What do universities require in an AI disclosure statement?
Requirements vary, but the published policies share a common core: name the tool, describe the use, and keep responsibility with the student. Two examples from official UK documents:
- University of Manchester (Presentation of Theses Policy, March 2026). The preliminary pages include “an AI Declaration acknowledging the use of an AI tool or system”, which should give an overview of the tools used and the outputs. The policy provides a model wording, and AI disclosure statements are excluded from the word count.
- University of Birmingham (guidance for postgraduate researchers). Use of a GenAI tool as an editorial assistant must be declared in the acknowledgements, naming the tool, describing the editorial remit given to it, and confirming that its contribution did not exceed that remit. Birmingham permits proofreading-type uses but prohibits using GenAI to develop the ideas and arguments, correct the accuracy of information, translate text in the assessed language, shorten work to meet a word limit or write the thesis.
Other universities ask for a cover-sheet declaration, a methods paragraph or nothing at all. Our guide to university policies on ChatGPT and generative AI compares rules in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
Where does the AI disclosure statement go in a thesis?
| Location | When it is used | Example policy |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary pages (separate AI declaration) | When the policy defines a dedicated section | Manchester |
| Acknowledgements | When AI is treated like third-party editorial help | Birmingham |
| Methods chapter | When AI was part of the research process (coding, transcription, analysis) | Common in journal and ethics guidance |
| Figure or table caption | When an AI tool produced an illustrative image | Birmingham requires tool, version, date and description |
| Declaration of originality form | When the university adds an AI question to its standard form | Varies by institution |
If your policy is silent, a short separate section after the declaration of originality is a reasonable default. Ask your supervisor to confirm the location in writing.
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What should every AI disclosure statement include?
A useful AI disclosure statement answers five questions:
- Which tool? Name and version or date of access, for example “ChatGPT (GPT-4o), accessed March to May 2026”.
- For what task? Language editing, brainstorming search terms, debugging code, summarizing your own notes, generating an illustrative image.
- In which parts of the thesis? Chapter or section numbers where relevant.
- What did you do with the output? Accepted some suggestions, rewrote them, verified facts against sources, rejected others.
- Who is responsible? A sentence confirming that the analysis, arguments and conclusions are yours and that you checked all content.
Birmingham’s guidance also recommends keeping records of your interactions with GenAI, including the outputs and how you used them, because you may be asked about them in the viva. Keeping a simple log of prompts and dates costs little and protects you if questions arise.
Six AI disclosure statement templates
Adapt the brackets to your own case. Do not declare uses you did not make, and do not use a template to describe uses your policy prohibits.
Template 1: No AI use.
“I confirm that no generative AI tools were used in the research, writing or editing of this thesis, other than standard spelling and grammar checking built into my word processor.”
Template 2: Language editing only.
“I used [tool, version] between [dates] to suggest corrections to spelling, grammar and sentence length in Chapters [x to y]. I reviewed every suggestion and accepted only changes that did not alter the meaning. The tool was not used to generate ideas, arguments or content. I take full responsibility for the text.”
Template 3: Brainstorming and search support.
“I used [tool] to brainstorm alternative search terms for the literature search described in Section [x]. All sources cited in this thesis were located, read and verified by me in [databases]. No text generated by the tool appears in the thesis.”
Template 4: Coding and data analysis support.
“I used [tool] to help debug [R/Python] code for the analyses in Chapter [x]. I checked every revised script by rerunning the analysis and comparing results with [manual calculation or SPSS output]. The choice of statistical methods and the interpretation of results are my own.”
Template 5: Illustrative image (caption).
“Figure [x]. [Description]. Image generated with [tool, version] on [date] from the prompt ‘[short prompt]’, and edited by the author. Illustrative only; not research data.”
Template 6: Following a model wording.
Where your university provides model wording, use it. Manchester’s model, in summary, names the tool, lists the tasks (for example idea generation, image creation and feedback on grammar and content), states that some recommendations were implemented, and points to the page where a generated visual is used and cited.
How do you cite AI output in the text?
The AI disclosure statement covers how you used a tool. If you quote or rely on specific AI-generated text in the body of the thesis, you also cite it. APA Style’s guidance treats the developer as the author and the model as the title, for example:
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
In text: (OpenAI, 2023). APA also suggests describing how you used the tool and, for longer exchanges, placing the prompt and response in an appendix. Check whether your department uses a different style or more recent APA guidance before submission.
Common mistakes in AI disclosure statements
| Mistake | Why it is a problem | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| “AI was used to assist with this thesis.” | Too vague to assess | Name the tool, task and chapters |
| Declaring a prohibited use as if it were allowed | The declaration is evidence of a breach | Check the policy before using the tool |
| Listing an AI tool as a co-author | Journals and COPE reject AI authorship | Disclose use; keep responsibility with the author |
| No record of prompts | Hard to answer viva questions | Keep a dated log of interactions |
| Disclosure that contradicts the originality declaration | Inconsistent statements raise questions | Align both documents |
Journal policies follow the same principle. COPE’s position statement says AI tools cannot be listed as authors and that authors who use them must disclose how. The ICMJE recommendations ask authors to disclose AI-assisted technologies at submission. If you plan to publish from your thesis, an accurate AI disclosure statement now will make the journal declaration easier later.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need an AI disclosure statement if I only used Grammarly?
It depends on your policy and on which features you used. Basic spelling correction is often exempt, but generative rewriting features may need to be declared. If unsure, declare the tool and the limited task.
Does the AI disclosure statement count toward the word limit?
At Manchester it does not: AI disclosure statements are listed among the preliminary pages excluded from the word count. Other universities may define the word count differently, so check your regulations.
Can I use AI to translate my thesis into English?
Some universities prohibit it for assessed text; Birmingham’s guidance, for example, does not allow GenAI to translate text into or from the language being assessed. Check your own rules before using any translation tool.
Will declaring AI use lower my mark?
A declared use that the policy permits should not be penalized. Undeclared use that is later discovered is a much greater risk, because it raises questions of honesty as well as originality.
Should I include my prompts in the thesis?
Not usually in the statement itself. Keep a record in case examiners ask, and add prompts to an appendix if your style guide or supervisor expects them for AI output you quote.
Sources
- University of Manchester. (2026). Presentation of Theses Policy (March 2026), section on preliminary pages and AI declaration. https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=7420 (accessed November 2026)
- University of Birmingham, University Doctoral School. Guidance on the use of GenAI for thesis writing by postgraduate research students. https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/libraries/research/thesis/genai-thesis-pgrs.aspx (accessed November 2026)
- McAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). How to cite ChatGPT. APA Style Blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt (accessed November 2026)
- Committee on Publication Ethics. Authorship and AI tools: COPE position statement (13 February 2023). https://publicationethics.org/guidance/cope-position/authorship-and-ai-tools (accessed November 2026)
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors. https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html (accessed November 2026)
- Russell Group. Russell Group principles on the use of generative AI tools in education (July 2023). https://russellgroup.ac.uk/media/6137/rg_ai_principles-final.pdf (accessed November 2026)
Sources last checked: November 2026. This article is general educational guidance and does not replace your university regulations or your supervisor’s instructions. How we prepare our content.