Student files complaint over professor's undisclosed use of generative AI
A senior student at Northeastern University reportedly discovered that her business professor had used ChatGPT to generate lecture notes without disclosure, despite the course syllabus prohibiting unauthorized AI use. The student filed a formal complaint with the business school citing the undisclosed use of AI and requesting tuition reimbursement.
What happened
In February 2025, Northeastern University senior Ella Stapleton discovered that her business professor had used ChatGPT to generate lecture notes without disclosure. Ms. Stapleton found an explicit ChatGPT prompt in the notes asking to 'expand on all areas. Be more detailed and specific,' followed by lists of leadership traits with definitions and examples.
Upon further review of the professor's slide presentations, Ms. Stapleton identified additional signs of AI use, including distorted text, photos with extraneous body parts, and misspellings. The course syllabus explicitly forbade 'academically dishonest activities,' including unauthorized use of artificial intelligence or chatbots.
Reported impact
Ms. Stapleton filed a formal complaint with Northeastern's business school citing the undisclosed use of AI and other issues with the professor's teaching style, requesting reimbursement of more than $8,000 for the required course. She stated that given the school's cost and reputation, she expected instruction from humans rather than material generated by an algorithm available to students for free.
Index analysis
The incident reflects broader concerns among students about professors' reliance on generative AI in course delivery while simultaneously restricting students' own use of such tools. Students have increasingly scrutinized course materials for signs of AI use and raised financial arguments about paying for human instruction.
Governance controls
Northeastern University's business school syllabus contained explicit prohibitions on unauthorized use of artificial intelligence and chatbots in course materials, though the professor's compliance with this policy was not disclosed to students.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.