Unpacking Students’ Irresponsible Use of Generative AI in Higher Education: A Review of Antecedents and Consequences

The widespread use of Generative AI in higher education has raised concerns about its irresponsible use, as its misuse threatens learning outcomes and professional readiness. This paper aims to synthesize existing research on students’ irresponsible use of GAI in higher education. Through a literature review, we identified five primary forms of irresponsible use: (1) plagiarism, (2) misinformation and hallucination, (3) over-reliance on GAI, (4) transparency and accountability issues, and (5) privacy risks and security concerns. Our findings reveal that these behaviors are driven by individual, institutional and technology factors with negative consequences on students’ cognitive development and future employability. Our study underscores the urgent need for institutions to establish GAI policies and literacy, as a few actions to promote responsible use of GAI. We contribute to the ongoing discussions on academic integrity and provide a foundation for future research on mitigating the risks associated with GAI misuse in higher education.