Can a tool like ChatGPT be considered the author of a text? Is its use seen as an attempt to cheat? Does its use need to be regulated by law at universities? And what are the consequences from the perspective of higher education?

The question of the use of tools such as ChatGPT in studying, teaching and research is currently asked and debated at most universities. The legal opinion on generative AI in the context of higher education, coordinated by a team of experts led by Peter Salden (Centre for Teaching and Learning at Ruhr University Bochum) and recently published, provides clarity.

The expert opinion was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and produced within the framework of KI:edu.nrw. It was the first detailed legal assessment of the topic.

The original version in German was published in March 2023.