Published on: August 3, 2026
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AI is now part of how students research, write, plan, and study. The IB has responded with a formal policy that every student needs to understand before submitting assessed work.
The Core Principle
The IB updated its Academic Integrity Policy to treat AI-generated content the same way it treats any other external source. Work submitted for IB assessment must represent your own thinking. If it does not, and you have not acknowledged it, that is a violation.
What Is Not Allowed
- Submitting AI-generated text as your own work. Pasting ChatGPT output into your Extended Essay, IA, or any assessed work without acknowledgment is misconduct, regardless of how much you edited it.
- Using AI to generate ideas you present as your own. If an AI produces your central argument and you write it in your own words without acknowledgment, the IB considers this a violation.
- Paraphrasing AI output without citation. Rewriting what an AI produced does not make it your own work.
- Using AI to translate work into English. If the English version of your submission was produced by AI, that is a breach regardless of your language background.
Violations can result in a mark of zero, disqualification from the session, or in serious cases, disqualification from the entire IB Diploma.
What Is Allowed
- AI as a research starting point. Using AI to get an overview of a topic or generate initial questions is acceptable. Submitting that overview as your own analysis is not.
- Grammar and spell checking. Tools like Grammarly that improve expression without generating ideas are generally acceptable.
- Brainstorming and planning. Using AI to generate possible angles for your EE topic is fine, as long as the actual thinking and development is yours.
- Studying and revision. Using AI to explain a concept, quiz yourself, or generate practice questions is entirely within the spirit of the policy.
The Grey Areas
- The editing problem: You write a paragraph, ask ChatGPT to improve it, and submit the improved version. If the AI substantially changed the content or structure of your thinking, it needs to be acknowledged.
- The research rabbit hole: AI gives you a well-structured answer and you use that structure to organise your essay. Use AI only as a pointer to where to look, then go to primary and secondary sources independently.
How the IB Detects AI Use
The IB does not rely solely on detection software, which produces both false positives and false negatives. Examiners are trained to look for inconsistencies between a student’s assessed work and their known writing style, unexpected shifts in register, and content that does not align with demonstrated understanding elsewhere.
How to Reference AI If You Have Used It
Note where AI was used, which tool, and what prompt you provided. Keep a record of your AI interactions during the research and writing process. For the Extended Essay, the researcher’s reflection space is an appropriate place to note AI use.
What JBCN Does
At JBCN School, Academic Integrity is taught as a genuine intellectual value from the start of Grade 11. Students complete a structured induction that specifically addresses AI policy with worked examples of what crosses the line and what does not.
Extended Essay and IA supervisors check in at multiple draft stages, so changes in quality or voice are caught early through conversation, not flagged at submission. JBCN uses Turnitin, which includes AI detection alongside plagiarism detection, and students submit drafts before final submission.
The goal is not that students avoid AI entirely. It is that they use it in ways that deepen learning rather than bypass it.
The Bottom Line
The skills the IB builds, critical thinking, original analysis, constructing and defending an argument, are precisely the skills AI cannot do for you. Students who use AI well use it to push their own thinking further. That is the difference between AI as a crutch and AI as a tool.
Questions about Academic Integrity and AI policy at JBCN? Speak to our admissions team or visit us at an open day.
Considering the IB Diploma Programme at JBCN? Speak to our admissions team about subject selection, university pathways, and how we support learners through both years.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is using ChatGPT allowed in the IB?
Using ChatGPT for research, brainstorming, and revision is allowed. Submitting AI-generated text as your own work without acknowledgment is academic misconduct under the IB's Academic Integrity Policy.
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Does the IB detect AI-generated content?
The IB uses tools including Turnitin's AI detection alongside plagiarism checking. Examiners are also trained to identify inconsistencies in writing style and quality that may indicate AI use.
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How should IB students reference AI use in their work?
Students should note where AI was used, which tool was used, and what prompt was given. For the Extended Essay, the researcher's reflection space is an appropriate place to acknowledge AI use.
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Can IB students use Grammarly?
Tools like Grammarly that improve expression without generating ideas or content are generally considered acceptable under the IB's current Academic Integrity Policy.
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