AI Hallucination in the Context of Education: Exploring College Students’ Use of Generative AI for Academic Tasks

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming increasingly prevalent in higher education, offering students new opportunities for learning and research. However, concerns about the potential for AI to produce inaccurate or misleading information—commonly referred to as "hallucinations"—have raised questions about the impact of these tools on student learning and academic integrity. This research paper examines how students' awareness of AI tools, the types of academic tasks they are assigned, faculty support, and institutional policies influence their perceptions and attitudes toward the use of generative AI for academic purposes. The study utilized a descriptive-correlational design, guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which provides insights into how users accept and effectively utilize technology. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed as a robust statistical technique to analyze the impact of various factors on college students' perceptions and attitudes regarding the use of generative AI for academic work. The study's constructs were assessed for reliability and validity using Cronbach's Alpha, Average Variance Extracted (AVE), and the Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio. The findings indicate that the complexity and intensity of academic tasks, students' engagement with generative AI platforms, and the support they receive from educational stakeholders significantly influence their attitudes toward using these platforms for academic assignments. Conversely, students' perceptions of generative AI are heavily shaped by the support systems available to them and their understanding of the potential risks associated with using such technologies for their assignments and projects. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion about the ethical and practical implications of AI in education, providing valuable insights into best practices for integrating AI technologies to enhance learning while upholding academic integrity.