S.-T. Yau High School Science Award is fundamentally committed to cultivating scientific literacy among secondary school students, guiding them to master scientific research methodologies, and inspiring and enhancing their interest in and capacity for scientific exploration. The competition requires participants to undertake research training with independent thinking and a distinctive perspective befitting secondary school students, and to independently complete research reports under the guidance and assistance of supervising instructors. The use of AI tools must strictly adhere to the principle of "assistance rather than substitution." Any attempt to employ AI as a "ghostwriting" tool, or to replace human thinking and creativity with machine-generated content, is contrary to the purpose of the competition and will be treated as academic dishonesty and dealt with accordingly.

I. AI Usage Rules

(i) During the competition, AI may only be used as an auxiliary tool and cannot substitute for academic training. Students must rationally recognize the potential risks of AI tools and adhere to the principle of "taking oneself as the principal, using AI for one's own benefit, exercising careful discernment, and assimilating content judiciously" when using AI tools.

(ii) Any use of AI must be truthfully declared, and prior approval from the supervising instructor must be obtained.

(iii) The direct use of AI-generated papers is prohibited; generative artificial intelligence technology shall not be employed as a "ghostwriting" tool.

(iv) Failure to annotate and disclose the use of large language model technology to generate content, or any conduct exceeding the permitted scope and requirements of normal use, shall be deemed academic dishonesty and investigated and handled as suspected academic misconduct.

(v) AI is restricted to auxiliary tasks such as information retrieval, language polishing, data analysis, idea optimization, and structural organization. The core components of the research report—including topic conception, research design, core argumentation, experimental verification, and academic expression—must be completed independently by the student.

II. Categorized Guidelines for AI Usage

(a) Permitted with Caution

· Language polishing;

· Grammar checking;

· Code debugging;

· Literature search leads;

· Structural organization;

· Chart drafts;

· Data analysis assistance.

(b) Subject to Mandatory Manual Verification

· Whether cited literature actually exists;

· Whether citations correspond to the original arguments;

· Whether formulas, code, and experimental results are correct;

· Whether generated content infringes copyright or leaks data.

(c) Explicitly Prohibited

· Using AI to ghostwrite the main body of a paper;

· Generating fabricated literature;

· Falsifying experimental data;

· Failing to declare usage;

· Uploading confidential, sensitive, or unauthorized data.

III. Declaration and Disclosure Obligations

In the acknowledgments section of the research report, students must provide a detailed and truthful account of AI usage, including the names and versions of AI tools used, specific stages and purposes of use, and the timing and frequency of use.

If AI tools have been used, Students must submit relevant chat records and other supporting materials (if any) pertaining to AI usage for verification by the Organizing Committee.

IV. Supervision and Penalties

The Organizing Committee will publish the shortlisted and alternate research reports online for public scrutiny prior to the semifinals and finals; reports involving academic misconduct will be removed following the public review period, and the final shortlist will be determined in conjunction with the review panel's assessments.

Students bear the responsibility of ensuring the accuracy and authenticity of all information in the application form and research report. The submission of false data, evidence of plagiarism, or improper use of AI are all prohibited acts. Upon verification, the offending party's competition eligibility will be revoked and the matter will be formally reported.