Indonesian Journal of Educational Technology
Vol 5 No 1 (2026): Indonesian Journal of Educational Technology

Ethical Boundaries Of Artificial Intelligence Use In Academic Writing: A Study Among University Students

Muhammad Dzaky Nabil Al Ghani (Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya)
Zidni Ma’ruf (Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya)
M. Kurniawan Aries Akbar (Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya)
Muhammad Akbar (Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 May 2026

Abstract

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly common in higher education, worries regarding academic honesty and ethical standards have increased. This study intends to explore how university students view and apply ethical limits while utilizing AI tools for academic writing. A group of six undergraduate students at Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya, who have experience using AI assistants, were interviewed through semi-structured interviews using a qualitative descriptive design. The study reveals that students perceive AI as a supporter of brainstorming, idea generation, and structural validation, rather than removing human intellect altogether. A clear ethical limit is established, and the use of AI is considered unethical if it necessitates unreviewed "copy-pasting" without personal input or comprehension. Also, it is observed that there is a significant amount of agreement among students regarding the necessity for disclosure on AI usage to uphold academic integrity. While this increase in efficiency is welcome, students are concerned that it could harm critical thinking skills and they are skeptical of AI accuracy, which must be closely monitored by humans. The report recommends that schools should establish distinct regulatory mechanisms and AI literacy initiatives to ensure the adherence to ethical AI.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

IJET

Publisher

Subject

Education

Description

Indonesian Journal of Educational Technology (IJ-ET) is a journal in the field of educational technology which contains literature review, action research, case study research and empirical findings in the theoretical and practical discipline of educational technology. This journal covers topics ...