Yes — and it’s still evolving.

The legal status of AI tools is unsettled in Canada at this point in time. Training data and copyright law are still murky — especially in Canada. This is an evolving area and our understanding will develop as new policies, regulations, and case law becomes settled. 

|Quick take. AI tools can be useful, but they raise legal and ethical questions, especially around copyright. It's important to think before you type (or copy/paste).

What you put in (Input)

Be careful what you put in. AI tools learn from the data they're given. In many cases, your input may be stored or reused in unknown ways.

Legal uncertainty. The legality of training content for  AI models is unclear. There are active lawsuits in the  US about potential copyright infringement, and  Canada is facing  similar uncertainties.   It’s also  unclear how — or if —  existing exceptions in the copyright framework, such as fair dealing, apply to this activity.

Helpful to know:

• Don’t paste in full articles, assignments, or materials you don’t have permission to share.
• Avoid uploading confidential or sensitive information.
• All content entered may become part of the tool’s dataset and may inadvertently resurface in response to other prompts

What comes out (Output)

AI can generate helpful drafts, but you likely don’t hold copyright to what it creates.

Authorship and ownership of works created by AI is unclear. Traditionally, Canadian law has said that an author must be human, who exercises skill and judgement in the creation of a work. As there are likely to be varying degrees of human input in content generated, it’s unclear how it will be determined who the appropriate author and owner of works are. 

• Reference: The US Copyright Office published the following guide addressing these issues: Copyright Registration Guidance for Works Containing AI-Generated Materials
• Helpful to know: you may not own or hold copyright in the works generated
• Review the terms of service of each tool: These terms will dictate use and ownership of input/output and they are subject to change without notice
• Be explicit in how you have used these tools in the creation of your work. Keep a record of prompts and any IP you have used in the creation of output. Review attribution guidelines according to the style guide you are using (refer to the Citing Sources guides). 
• Check assignment, publication, or workplace policies for rules on disclosing AI use. These policies will indicate whether AI can be used and how the use of these tools should be disclosed.
   

Use AI responsibly. Ask yourself: 

• Am I allowed to use this tool for this purpose?
• Am I using someone else's work in ways I shouldn’t (e.g., library content)?
• Do I understand how the tool handles what I enter?
• Am I being transparent about how I used AI?

|Caution. Just because AI can do something doesn’t mean you should let it, or rely on it to do the thinking for you.
 

Can I upload MRU library content (e.g. library licensed e-resources such as journal articles or eBooks) in Generative AI tools like Chat GPT?  

Generally, no.
Most library content is under contract. Uploading it to a third-party tool like ChatGPT usually violates the terms of use.

What to do instead:

• Read or quote content directly in your own work
• Don’t upload PDFs, chapters, or full articles into external platforms
• If unsure, check with your liaison librarian or copyright advisor

Consult Mount Royal Library’s How to use library licensed content resource for more information. 

What material can I use in a Generative AI tool? 

Best choices:

• Open access materials, including Creative Commons licensed content (e.g. CC-BY) and public domain materials
• Content you created or have the right to use

 The Creative Commons FAQs on AI and CC Licenses indicates that "if someone uses a CC-licensed work with any new or developing technology, and if copyright permission is required, then the CC license allows that use without the need to seek permission from the copyright owner so long as the license conditions are respected." Please refer to this Creative Commons resource for further guidance. You may also find the Internet Archive to be helpful for sourcing content.

If you would like assistance determining whether you can use content in Generative AI tools or would like access to larger quantities of textual data, please contact your liaison librarian for support with your request.  

Are there other Mount Royal resources I can consult to learn more?

The following Mount Royal resources address GenAI in research, teaching and learning: 

• Artificial Intelligence (Mount Royal University Library) 
• Teaching with Generative AI at Mount Royal University (Academic Development Centre) 
• Google Gemini AI Pilot Project FAQ  (MRU pilot project)
   

Need help or unsure what’s okay?

Reach out to mrucopyright@mtroyal.ca or your liaison librarian.
 

The content of this page is evolving and subject to change. Last updated: June 12, 2025

This FAQ was adapted from "Generative AI Tools and Copyright Considerations" by the University of Toronto Libraries, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.