<![CDATA[This study examines how personal competencies shape university students’ scientific writing skills and whether artificial intelligence (AI) use mediates that relationship. Drawing on self-regulated learning theory, self-determination theory, critical literacy theory, and technology acceptance research, an integrated model positioned self-regulated learning, intrinsic motivation, and critical literacy as personal antecedents of AI use, and AI use as a mediator of their effects on scientific writing skills. Using a cross-sectional survey design, self-report data were collected from 615 students at six Indonesian universities through purposive sampling stratified by educational level and gender and analysed with covariance-based structural equation modelling in IBM AMOS 24.0. The model fitted the data well (χ²/df = 2.309, RMSEA = 0.046, CFI = 0.943, TLI = 0.941). Self-regulated learning (β = 0.321), critical literacy (β = 0.311), and intrinsic motivation (β = 0.216) significantly predicted AI use (R² = 0.607) and also directly predicted scientific writing skills, with the full model explaining 92.8% of its variance. Bootstrapped indirect effects (5,000 resamples, 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals) showed that AI use partially mediated all three relationships. Permutation-based multi-group analysis showed no gender moderation, whereas educational level moderated the critical literacy paths. AI amplifies existing personal competencies rather than substituting for them.]]>
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