Moldova mandates higher education students to declare AI tool usage
The Moldovan Government has approved a new national framework requiring university students to formally disclose the use of artificial intelligence in their academic work.
The mandate applies to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral graduation theses, alongside routine academic projects. This policy stems from the newly enacted National Framework Regulation on Academic Integrity in Higher Education.
Combating academic plagiarism
According to Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun, the strict disclosure policy aligns with broader state efforts to eliminate academic plagiarism.
"Students must declare whether they utilized artificial intelligence and specify exactly how it was integrated," Perciun stated. While acceptable applications include technical proofreading and text formatting, impermissible usage will trigger academic sanctions.
Preserving critical thinking**
Education experts emphasize that while artificial intelligence can streamline data processing, it must not jeopardize independent intellectual development.
"The regulation recognizes AI as a valid tool for documentation, text organization, and linguistic proofreading," noted education expert Mariana Marin. However, Marin emphasized that critical analysis, data interpretation, and final conclusions must remain entirely the student’s own intellectual work.
Graduated penalties for non-compliance
Failure to declare the use of AI tools, or deploying them to significantly alter academic outcomes, will now constitute a formal breach of integrity. These violations are classified into minor, moderate, and severe categories.
Depending on the gravity of the infraction, students face penalties ranging from rewriting assignments and grade cancellations to academic suspension or full expulsion.
Furthermore, faculty members and thesis advisors who fail to uphold these standards face disciplinary actions or temporary suspensions from supervising graduate work.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
