This competition assesses your thinking.
You may use AI tools for a few limited tasks, as long as you say how. The argument, the structure and the words must be your own.
In short
- Brainstorming topics and questions to investigate
- Finding sources (which you then read and check yourself)
- Explaining a concept you are trying to understand
- Checking spelling and grammar
- Writing any part of your entry
- Rewriting, paraphrasing or “improving” your sentences
- Planning or structuring your argument
- Choosing your position for you
- Generating references you haven't read
Why
The judges are assessing your insight, evidence, originality and reasoning. If a tool wrote, restructured or reworded the entry, they would be assessing the tool. The rule protects every entrant who did the work themselves.
How to declare it
When you submit, the entry form asks whether you used generative AI while preparing your entry. If you did, describe briefly what for, for example: “Used ChatGPT to suggest sources on urban heat, then read them myself. Used Grammarly to check spelling.”
Declaring allowed use does not lower your score. Failing to declare use, or declaring it inaccurately, is a breach of the rules.
Which tools this covers
Any tool that generates or rewrites text: chatbots, writing assistants, paraphrasing tools, and AI features built into word processors, browsers and search engines. Ordinary spell-checkers are fine and don't need declaring.
How entries are checked
All entries are checked for plagiarism and for signs of AI-generated text. Detection tools are not reliable on their own, so no entry is disqualified on a tool's score alone. Where there is a concern, a person reviews the entry and we may ask the entrant to explain how they wrote it or to talk it through.
If we conclude that an entry breaks this policy, it may be disqualified, including after results are published.
Help from people
The same principle applies to people. Teachers, parents and friends can discuss ideas with you and tell you what is unclear. They should not write, rewrite or restructure your entry.
If you're unsure
Declare it, and describe exactly what you did. If you want to check before you submit, email hello@tenyearsfromnow.org.