Developing Critical Thinking and Ensuring Academic Integrity in Academic Writing in our Increasingly Digitalized World

The rapid emergence of generative AI (Gen AI) is reshaping academic writing practices with profound implications for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction. While Gen AI tools such as ChatGPT provide second-language learners with support for idea generation, paraphrasing, and grammar correction, their use also raises concerns about plagiarism, authorship, and the potential erosion of critical thinking skills. This paper examines how EAP practitioners can integrate ChatGPT into teaching to enhance efficiency while upholding academic integrity. It reviews the opportunities associated with ChatGPT in academic writing, outlines practical classroom applications in an English for General Academic Purposes (EGAP) undergraduate context, and demonstrates how structured pedagogy can reframe ChatGPT not as a threat but as a literacy tool. The argument advanced here is that EAP can play a crucial role in preparing students to engage responsibly and reflectively with AI-mediated academic writing.