Artificial Intelligence Glossary

Being honest and fair in all your schoolwork. It includes giving proper credit to others when you use their ideas and making sure the work you hand in is truly your own. 

For more on academic honesty, please see Policy and Procedure #305.0, Equitable Assessment Evaluation and Communication of Student Learning and Achievement.

Knowing how Artificial Intelligence works, what it can do, what its limits are, and how to use it in a smart and responsible way. It helps you understand AI’s impact and make good decisions about using it.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is technology that can mimic intelligent human behaviour, such as reasoning, learning and problem-solving.

When an AI system gives unfair or prejudiced results. This can happen because of the data it learned from or because of its design. For example, if an AI is trained on data that mostly shows one group of people in a certain role, it may repeat that pattern.

An AI tool that can talk with you through text or voice, acting like a real person.

A set of exclusive rights regulating the right to use, produce or reproduce a work or a substantial part of it in any form. When using AI to create content, it’s important to consider who owns the final work.

Adapted from Policy and Procedure #545.0, Intellectual Property, Copyright and Professional Service

Keeping personal information safe and private when it is collected or used by AI systems or other digital tools. This includes protecting information like names, birthdates and photos from being shared without permission.

AI-generated video, audio or images that make it appear as though a person is doing or saying something they did not actually do.

Using technology responsibly, safely and ethically. This includes understanding your digital footprint and how your online actions affect yourself and others.

The ability to use digital tools and online information to find, understand, evaluate and create content in an effective and ethical way.

Using AI tools in ways that are fair, responsible and respectful of people’s rights, privacy and well-being, while avoiding harm.

A type of AI that can create new content, such as text, images, videos or music, based on instructions (called prompts) given by users. Unlike a regular web search, GenAI generates original output.

When an AI system produces information that sounds correct but is false or misleading. This happens because of limitations in the AI’s training or understanding.

A way of using AI that keeps people at the centre of the process. You start with your own thinking, use AI as a support, and then review, revise and take responsibility for the final outcome.

A creation of the mind produced by an individual or group of individuals of which the ownership or right to use may be legally protected by copyright or other legal forms of ownership. Intellectual Property can include inventions, literary and artistic works, designs and symbols, or other intangible assets.

When AI is involved, questions can arise about who owns the ideas or content created.

Adapted from Policy and Procedure #305.0, Equitable Assessment Evaluation and Communication of Student Learning and Achievement

Advanced AI systems trained on large amounts of text and data can understand and generate human-like language. These models power many chatbots and Generative AI tools.

False or inaccurate information shared without the intent to deceive. AI can sometimes generate misinformation, which is why information should always be checked.

The content or information produced by a Generative AI tool in response to a prompt or request.

Plagiarism refers to representing someone else’s ideas, writing or other intellectual property as one’s own, including AI-generated content. Any use of the work of others, whether published, unpublished or posted electronically, attributed, or anonymous, must include proper acknowledgement. Plagiarism hinders learning and the development of learning skills and work habits. 

Adapted from Policy and Procedure #305.0, Equitable Assessment Evaluation and Communication of Student Learning and Achievement.

The instructions, questions, or input you give to an AI tool guide what it creates. Clear prompts usually lead to better results.

Shared beliefs about what is important, fair, or right in society. AI systems can reflect or reinforce these values, so it’s important to think critically about their impact.

Transferable skills are the skills and attributes that students need in order to thrive in the modern world.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has defined seven important categories of transferable skills – sometimes referred to as “competencies” – that will help students navigate the world of work and meet with success in the future. 

Learn more about transferable skills.

A method of gathering evidence from multiple sources, such as observations, conversations, and products, to better understand learning and performance, especially when AI tools are used.