"Plagiarism in the Age of AI: Exploring the Role of ChatGPT in Student Writing and Academic Integrity"

The advent of AI-powered writing tools such as ChatGPT has revolutionized academic writing, enhancing its efficiency and accessibility. This shift has raised concerns about academic integrity, particularly about plagiarism and the insufficiency of current detection techniques. This study examines the correlation between ChatGPT utilization and plagiarism in student writing, taking into account the impact of usage frequency, awareness of academic integrity, and the intended purpose of application on plagiarism rates. This research diverges from prior studies that concentrate just on plagiarism detection or AI ethics, examining how usage patterns may influence academic integrity by integrating behavioral and technological perspectives. The theoretical framework employs a quantitative methodology utilizing ANOVA tests to assess the influence of three independent variables—frequency of ChatGPT usage, awareness of academic integrity, and aim of application—on the dependent variable, plagiarism in student writing. The analysis indicates that students who often utilize ChatGPT exhibit elevated levels of plagiarism (F = 8.25, p = 0.003). Students utilizing this tool for content development exhibit significantly elevated plagiarism rates (F = 10.68, p = 0.002). Students who are cognizant of academic integrity exhibit markedly lower rates of plagiarism, (F = 12.47, p = 0.001). Stronger ethical rules, more academic integrity training, and advancements in AI detection technologies are required. Subsequent research will examine the long-term effects on critical thinking skills and develop strategies to both foster innovation and uphold academic integrity.