<![CDATA[Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have not only enriched the technology landscape in higher education but have also transformed academic thinking by introducing new patterns of interaction between human cognitive abilities and machine intelligence. However, the level of student acceptance of AI as an educational assistant in thesis writing still needs to be proven through empirical research. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in students’ attitudes and perceptions before and after AI-assisted thesis writing training and to measure the magnitude of the training’s influence through effect size analysis. The study employed a quasi-experimental approach with a one-group pretest–posttest design, involving 27 students from the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at Halu Oleo University in Southeast Sulawesi. The research instrument was adapted from Ng (2012), covering three aspects: attitudes towards AI, technical digital literacy, and cognitive-social-emotional digital literacy. The data were analysed using a paired samples t-test and Cohen’s d effect size. The results showed a significant increase in students’ perceptions from 54.44 (SD = 5.03) to 68.81 (SD = 7.44) (t = –8.914; p < .001). Cohen’s d = –1.716 and Hedges’ correction = –1.666 values indicate a considerable effect. The highest increase occurred in attitudes towards AI (Δ = +6.43) and technical digital literacy (Δ = +5.95). These findings demonstrate that the use of AI not only enhances students’ digital skills but also cultivates reflective attitudes and ethical awareness in thesis writing.]]>
