THE IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS USAGE ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The widespread use of AI tools among university students has created both opportunities and challenges in higher education. As a result, students are increasingly integrating AI tools into their learning processes to support coursework, assignments, and exam preparation. In this research, impacts of use of AI applications on academic integrity and academic performance of PhD Education and MPhil Education students enrolled at University of the Punjab were explored. The research adopted a quantitative correlational design in which a sample of 200 postgraduate students was selected through convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using standardized questionnaire comprising 44 questions, which had a reliability index of the Cronbach Alpha = .85. Data analysis techniques used included descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, t-test & ANOVA. The findings revealed that students used AI technology such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, DeepSeek, and QuillBot to assist their writing and research processes. Regression analysis showed that both were positively and significantly predicted by the use of AI. Thus, this study therefore advocates for urgent actions on the part of universities to establish ethical policies, raise awareness & provide training on the AI usage.