Navigating AI in EFL academic writing: examining perceptions, frequency of use and ethical orientations

With widespread leveraging of artificial intelligence tools in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes, there is a need to examine their potential influence on the academic writing of EFL learners. While AI use in language learning has been examined extensively in the past few years, EFL students’ perceptions, frequency of use, and the ethical orientations concerning AI use in academic writing remain insufficiently investigated. To fill this lacuna, our mixed-methods study looked at the perceptions of EFL learners toward the potential and frequency of AI use for academic writing. Additionally, it explored their ethical orientations toward AI adoption in academic writing. Employing a convenience sampling strategy, we collected quantitative data from 351 first-year university students using an online survey. We also gathered qualitative data from seven participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the surveyed learners perceived AI as a useful resource for academic writing and had positive attitudes toward the potential benefits of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Grammarly, Wordtune, and Quillbot) for developing essential writing skills and fostering confidence in writing. Approximately half of the respondents were aware of some of the most common ethical concerns regarding AI use for academic writing. The study presents valuable implications for EFL teachers and policymakers on how to ethically and responsibly use AI for academic writing.