Abstract:

The collaboration aims to study the ethical implications of using artificial intelligence (AI) in generating academic texts among university students. The study focuses on a Chilean university, with the central theme addressing ethics as a conscious practice for generating academic texts for first-semester students. To contextualize the issue, the growing use of AI to create academic texts in the university setting presents significant ethical challenges, particularly concerning academic integrity, originality, and student responsibility. As more students use these tools, a tension arises between their value as support and the risk of replacing academic effort, which affects perceptions of academic ethics and increases reliance on technology. Therefore, the study seeks to examine the opinions of students and professors on these ethical issues, with the goal of developing guidelines to promote ethical and responsible use of AI in education.

The literature review addresses two topics:
(a) Academic ethics and student responsibility in the digital age, and
(b) The potentials and ethical risks of AI in education.

The study is framed within a qualitative approach and interpretive paradigm, using narratives from four key informants (2 students and 2 professors) as primary sources. These informants were selected based on the following criteria: experience using artificial intelligence, being a social actor in the university context, and having an understanding of academic integrity. The hermeneutic method was employed, focusing on the coding of information organized into matrices. For analysis, techniques of categorization, comparison, and source triangulation established by Denzin (1990), as cited by Gavira et al. (2015), were used. Denzin defines triangulation as: “the application and combination of several research methodologies in the study of the same phenomenon.” Semi-structured interviews, supported by a validated question guide, were used for data collection. Preliminary results reveal a dual perspective on the use of AI in creating academic texts. While some appreciate AI for its ability to facilitate content creation and organization, others warn of the risks of misuse, such as reduced personal responsibility and authenticity in academic work. Key effects of AI use include the erosion of academic integrity due to a lack of authenticity and a deficit in ethical literacy, defined as the absence of responsible training on its use. The concluding statement defines ethical erosion as the progressive weakening of moral and professional values, such as honesty and originality, which are crucial for academic credibility. It also confirms that educational co-responsibility refers to the idea that both educational institutions and students have a shared and active role in the learning process, as both must collaborate and assume responsibilities to ensure that education is effective, ethical, and relevant, especially in the use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. To address the ethical challenges of using AI in academic writing, universities should establish clear standards and provide training on the responsible use of AI, thus ensuring integrity and originality in the academic field.

Keywords:

Ethics, Artificial Intelligence, Academic Text, University.