Today we bring you insights into how and why students are using AI based on the largest study of student use of AI conducted across Australian universities – the Student Voice on AI in HE project.
This series dives into major assumptions about students and AI, offering a nuanced look at issues of cheating, integrity, and learning in an uncertain, complex world.
ASSUMPTION: STUDENTS LACK INTEGRITY WITH AI
Think students don’t care about integrity when using AI?
It’s not that simple.
Only 32% feel they get clear guidance on AI use in studies, and just 23% feel prepared to use AI in future careers. Meanwhile, 85% turn to AI because it saves time and makes tasks easier—just like everyone else trying to balance demands.
Students are caught in the blurred space between academic and workplace expectations.
Traditional integrity rules—no collusion, fully original work—don’t fit neatly with AI’s collaborative, efficiency-driven potential. Yet we assume students’ intent is to cheat or shortcut learning.
Over-policing AI risks undermining students’ sense of integrity — a concept that, at its core, means wholeness and aligning actions with values.
If we truly want to support students, it’s time to rethink what we mean by “integrity”. Academic, learning, and workplace integrity are all converging. How we define those values will shape the future of learning.
Professor Margaret Bearman (Deakin University) and Associate Professor Tim Fawns (Monash) representing the Students and AI collaborative project team of 20 scholars from 4 universities.
