Investigating the impact of generative AI on academic integrity in universities student attitudes, ethical challenges, AI-assisted plagiarism, and institutional responses

This study aimed to explore the influence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) on academic integrity within Pakistani universities, examining students' perceptions, ethical dilemmas, the role of AI in plagiarism, and institutional measures. A mixed-methods research approach was employed to draw out students' experiences and institutional views of academic use of generative AI. The targeted population consisted of students of undergraduate and post graduate level in public and private universities of Pakistan. The sample size for quantitative analysis was 350 students while for qualitative analysis, the students, lecturers and academic administrators were sampled. A structured questionnaire and interview questions were used to discuss the use of AI, ethical awareness, academic dishonesty, and institutional policies. Overall, the findings indicated that students were positive about the use of generative AI as an educational tool, particularly for writing assistance, research, and information retrieval. However, issues arose about AI-assisted plagiarism, dependence, originality, and the trustworthiness of AI-generated information. The findings also revealed that the policies in universities were not consistent, and students' awareness of AI was not high, which made it hard to implement responsible AI. The study highlighted the importance of establishing institutional policies, promoting AI literacy, transparency in disclosure, and adjusting assessment systems to maintain academic integrity and stimulate technological innovation in higher education in Pakistan.