UCLA doesn't have one AI rule for every class. It has a default, and then it lets each instructor decide. Knowing the default is what keeps you out of trouble in the classes where nobody spells it out.
Here's what UCLA's official guidance says, what it means for you, and which models fit the work UCLA students actually do, from film edits to organic chemistry.
What UCLA actually says
We checked these pages in October 2026.
The Academic Senate's teaching guidance. In March 2023 the Senate's undergraduate and graduate councils published teaching guidance on ChatGPT. Its key line: unless an instructor indicates otherwise, using AI on an assignment is "akin to receiving assistance from another person." It quotes the Student Conduct Code, which says submitted work must be your own or must "clearly acknowledge the source." Instructors are asked to state their expectations in the syllabus.
The IT FAQ. UCLA's Digital Transformation Services AI FAQ says acceptable use varies by course, so you should check with your instructors. It says students can use Google Gemini with a UCLA account, and that UCLA accounts are cleared for data up to protection level P3. It warns that public consumer versions of AI tools may use your prompts for training, so sensitive information stays out of them.
The AI use policy guide. The policy guide is blunt: students may not present AI-generated work as their own without acknowledgement. It also points to AI literacy courses on Bruin Learn and LinkedIn Learning.
The full list of campus tools, and who can use each one, lives on the DTS site and changes often, so check it there rather than relying on a blog post.
What that means in practice
- No AI statement means treat it like getting help from a friend. You wouldn't let a friend write your paragraph. Don't let a model do it either.
- Acknowledge the source. If your instructor allows AI, say which tool you used and what for.
- Use your UCLA account for course material. The campus versions of tools come with data protections that a personal free account doesn't.
- Check citations. The FAQ itself warns that AI can misrepresent sources.
Which models suit UCLA majors
Film, theater and television
UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television is one of the best-known film schools in the country, and AI is now part of pre-production for a lot of people. Use it where your instructor allows, and disclose it.
- Storyboards and mood boards. Image models like Nano Banana or FLUX are good for quick frames you can mark up.
- Previs clips. Video models like Veo and Runway can block out a shot to show a crew what you mean. Our Veo vs Runway page compares them.
- Script feedback. Claude is a careful reader for structure and pacing notes.
Try: "Here's the first ten pages of my short. Don't rewrite anything. Tell me where the protagonist's goal becomes clear, where the pacing drags, and which scene could be cut without losing anything."
Pre-med and life sciences
Pre-med students at UCLA work through demanding chemistry and biology sequences. Use AI to explain and quiz, not to do problem sets.
Try: "Walk me through the mechanism of an SN2 reaction with a secondary alkyl halide. Then give me three practice problems of increasing difficulty and wait for my answers before explaining."
Psychology and social sciences
For literature reviews, use a search model that cites real sources, like Perplexity, and open every link before you trust it. Then use a chat model to stress-test your argument.
Try: "Here's my hypothesis and the three studies I'm citing. What's the strongest objection a reviewer would raise, and what kind of evidence would answer it?"
Writing across majors
If you're choosing between ChatGPT and Claude for writing feedback, our ChatGPT vs Claude for students post compares them on the tasks students actually do.
How to use AI at UCLA without breaking the rules
- Find the AI section in each syllabus. If there isn't one, the Senate default applies: treat AI like outside help and ask first.
- Ask the instructor in writing. A two-line email gives you a clear answer you can point to later.
- Acknowledge every use that's allowed. One sentence at the end of the assignment is usually enough.
- Keep drafts and chat history. They show your process if a question ever comes up.
- Verify facts and sources yourself. Never submit a citation you haven't opened.
- Protect data. Patient information from a clinical placement, other students' work and research data don't belong in a consumer chatbot.
Where LazySusan fits
Use UCLA's campus tools for coursework where your instructor allows AI. LazySusan is for the rest: personal projects, side work, a film you're making outside class, or seeing how different models handle the same question.
It puts ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity and DeepSeek next to image, video and voice models like Veo, Runway and ElevenLabs, in one workspace with one bill. Multi-Chat sends one prompt to several models so you can compare answers side by side, which is a fast way to spot an answer that needs checking.
The Student plan is $99 a year with a .edu email, with 5,000 tokens a month that roll over. Prompt School has free lessons on writing better prompts, and you can sign up here.
LazySusan isn't affiliated with or endorsed by UCLA. Your syllabus and the Student Conduct Code come first.
The short version
At UCLA, unless your instructor says otherwise, AI help counts as outside help, and anything you submit must be your own or clearly credited. Check each syllabus, use your UCLA account for course material, credit the tools you're allowed to use and verify everything they tell you.