IB students and AI: TOK, EE and IA without misconduct
The IB doesn't ban AI, but it treats anything AI produced, even in part, as not your own work: if it ends up in your TOK essay, EE or IA, it must be credited in the text and in the bibliography, and it won't earn you marks. The safe, useful uses are the ones where AI questions you: testing your knowledge questions, probing your research question and quizzing you for exams.
Ask Poppy, the AI tutor that asks instead of tells. Free, 30 messages a day · iPhone, iPad, Mac
Disclosure: written by the Ask Poppy team. IB rules quoted from ibo.org (checked Oct 2026). Not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate; your school's and coordinator's guidance comes first.
What the IB says
- "The IB will not ban the use of AI software", but use "should be in line with the IB's academic integrity policy" (IB statement on AI, last updated 19 Feb 2026).
- "The IB does not regard any work produced—even only in part—by such tools, to be their own." AI-generated text, images or graphs must be "credited in the body of the text and appropriately referenced in the bibliography".
- The academic integrity policy now has an appendix of guidance on using AI tools (policy PDF, from page 53; overview on ibo.org, updated 19 Feb 2026).
Uses that keep the thinking yours
| Usually fine (check with your school) | Not your own work | |
|---|---|---|
| TOK | Being questioned on a prescribed title: "what would someone who disagrees say?" Try our TOK May 2027 question deck. | AI suggesting your knowledge questions, examples or essay structure, or writing paragraphs |
| Extended Essay | Pressure-testing your research question; planning backwards from your deadline (EE planner); rehearsing what you'll say in reflection sessions | AI summaries of sources you haven't read; AI-written analysis or reflections |
| Internal assessments | Explaining your method out loud and being asked "why?"; checking you understand a statistical test | AI-generated data analysis, conclusions or evaluation in the submitted work |
| Exam revision | Quizzing, hints instead of answers, explaining it back, spaced review to May 2027 | — |
Free tools for IB students
- TOK May 2027 question deck: Socratic questions for the six prescribed titles. Questions only, no essay ideas.
- Extended Essay planner: a backwards timeline from your school deadline with the three reflection sessions.
- Exam countdown with a spaced revision plan and a subscribable IB May 2027 calendar.
- AI house rules generator with an IB preset, to agree with your family or advisor what AI is for.
More: Check an AI answer in 2 minutes · Is it cheating to use AI for homework? · GCSE and A-level revision with AI
Sources (checked Oct 2026): IB statement on AI · IB academic integrity policy (AI guidance, p. 53) · IB: AI in learning, teaching and assessment · Ask Poppy on the App Store. Ask Poppy facts are from the current app (version 1.8.3) and its App Store listing. US prices; they vary by country and platform. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].
Want to talk your TOK ideas through out loud? Ask Poppy is an AI tutor you talk or type to. It asks questions and gives one hint at a time instead of handing you the answer, and it remembers where you left off so you can pick it up again tomorrow.
Free, 30 messages a day on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Optional subscription. (Disclosure: this site is made by the Ask Poppy team.)
Questions
Does the IB allow students to use AI?
Yes, within limits. The IB says it will not ban AI software, but its use must follow the academic integrity policy, and the IB does not regard any work produced by AI, even only in part, as the student's own (statement last updated 19 February 2026).
How do I cite ChatGPT in an IB essay?
The IB says AI-generated text, images or graphs you include must be credited in the body of the text and referenced in the bibliography. Its academic integrity policy has a section of guidance on AI tools (from page 53); follow it and your school's referencing style.
Can I use AI for my Extended Essay or IA?
For thinking and planning, many schools allow it: being questioned about your research question, testing whether you can explain a source, or planning a timeline. Anything AI produces that ends up in the work must be cited and won't earn you credit. Talk to your supervisor first.
Is Learn out loud affiliated with the IB?
No. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate. Ask Poppy has no IB curriculum or exam content; the TOK deck and EE planner here are our own study aids.