In the US, your school and your committee set the rules for AI in a thesis. The policies quoted here ask for different things: permission from an advisor or instructor, a section in your appendix, or no AI text as a substitute for your own writing. Find your own policy, then confirm it with your advisor.
If your AI statement clearly doesn't cover what you describe elsewhere in your thesis, Esmond points it out.
Dartmouth's Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies asks for openness in all graduate work: “Students must acknowledge or cite the use of GenAI in their work to maintain transparency and integrity.”
Rochester Institute of Technology, in its PhD in Computing and Information Sciences, says where it goes: “Students are required to include a "Generative AI Usage Disclosure" as the first section of the Appendix.” The policy takes effect in the Fall 2026 semester and covers dissertation proposals and dissertations.
The University of Connecticut's Biomedical Science PhD program says this about text: “it is not permissible for them to use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, etc.) to generate text as a substitute for their own writing.” Its policy is a template that course and area directors can adapt.
Arizona State's School of Social Transformation allows AI with disclosure or not at all, and says: “Not disclosing AI use in assignments constitutes academic dishonesty.” Its policy covers courses, capstone projects, and bachelor's, master's and doctoral theses.
A hypothetical example of a commentYour appendix says you used an AI tool only for search terms, but your literature review thanks it for summaries. Could your statement cover both?
A first comment on one part of your own draft, right away and without an account.
Get a free previewAll four come from one school or program. Read them as examples of what a US policy can look like, and expect yours to differ.
| Policy | Who sets the limit | What it asks you to report | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth, graduate school | Your program, advisor or course instructor; for a thesis, sparingly and for isolated tasks | Any use of GenAI | An acknowledgment or citation in the work |
| RIT, computing PhD | The program, and your advisor and committee may add stricter rules | Significant use in content, generated content and use in research methods | The first section of your appendix |
| UConn, biomedical science PhD | Course directors and area directors adapt the template; a faculty member gives permission for specific uses | All permitted AI uses | With the work itself, for example in a figure legend |
| Arizona State, School of Social Transformation | Your instructor or committee | When and how you used AI | Not specified in this text, so ask your instructor or committee |
The four documents above sit at different levels, which tells you where to look for your own. Dartmouth's is a graduate school policy page. RIT's and UConn's belong to one PhD program. Arizona State's belongs to one school within the university. Look at each of those levels, and at your course syllabus if your thesis or capstone runs through a course. If two levels differ, ask your advisor which one applies, and keep the answer.
Sort what you plan to do into tasks: finding sources, summarizing, analyzing data, generating text, getting comments on a draft. Then go through your policy with that list in hand. A policy that talks only about text may say nothing about data analysis, and one that mentions tools in general covers all of them.
If you're undecided about a task, send your advisor one email that names the tool and the task, and keep the reply with your notes. RIT's sample statements show how much detail a program can expect. They name the tool's role, what was checked and how, so a short log kept while you work will save you time later.
Esmond evaluates every assignment before you submit. It never writes it.
Esmond is an AI tool that doesn't write for you. If your course doesn't allow any AI tools, don't use Esmond for that work. If you're unsure, ask your instructor or advisor.
Esmond comments on your own draft and adds no text to it. If your advisor agrees and your policy asks for a statement, name it there. Types of AI help for a thesis explains the difference, and Can I get AI feedback on my thesis? goes through what to ask.
We didn't find one. The policies on this page come from graduate schools, schools and PhD programs, so look there for yours.
Some of them do. Arizona State's School of Social Transformation lists bachelor's honors theses and capstone projects. Our Princeton page covers the university rule and the Economics policy.
Follow the stricter rule until you hear otherwise. RIT's policy says outright that advisors and committees may add stricter rules, and that they have to tell students in writing.
It depends. RIT asks those students for one standard sentence. Other schools may not ask for anything. Check yours and ask if it isn't clear.
Read on November 4, 2026.
Get your paper evaluated before you submit