Harvard Departments Split on AI Use in Senior Theses, With Many Yet to Set Rules - Sebastian B. Connolly, Harvard Crimson

Only 18 of Harvard College’s 50 concentrations have department-wide restrictions on how seniors can use artificial intelligence in their theses, according to a Crimson review of departmental policies.

With no College-wide policy on AI usage in theses, the rules vary widely by concentration. Six concentrations ban AI use at all stages of the thesis process, while 10 allow thesis writers to use it for research or data analysis but not for writing.

More often, though, departments have not set a concentration-wide rule at all. Seventeen concentrations leave the question to students and their thesis advisers to work out individually, and leaders of 14 others said they are still developing policies.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/9/25/harvard-thesis-ai-policies/