The AI Integrity Crisis: When Artificial Intelligence Challenges What It Means to Earn a Degree

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education while challenging academic integrity, assessment validity, and the credibility of academic credentials. This conceptual study examines factors associated with AI-assisted misconduct, limitations in identifying AI-generated work, and implications for institutions, employers, and society. It proposes the AI Academic Integrity Verification Model, which integrates responsible AI policies, human review, authentic assessment, and independent competency verification. The model recommends secure, supervised assessments at key stages of degree progression, including annual and exit assessments, to establish whether students can independently demonstrate required knowledge and skills. These measures would complement coursework, practical and performance-based evaluation, and AI literacy education. The study defines AI-assisted cheating as AI use that violates institutional policy, misrepresents independent student knowledge or effort, or conceals unauthorized assistance. It distinguishes such misconduct from responsible AI use that supports learning without replacing required intellectual work. The model is intended for both in-person and online higher-education environments and requires future empirical evaluation.