Local universities are grappling with the increasing use of generative AI tools in student assessments, raising concerns about academic integrity and fairness.

The Higher Education Policy Institute found that 53% of UK undergraduates use AI to generate essays, while a University of Melbourne study revealed that 48% of students never used AI tools, yet 10% admitted submitting AI-generated content for assessment.

At the University of Sydney, serious academic cheating cases increased by 1000% over two years.

Massey University detected 11,000 AI-assisted submissions out of 85,000 in Semester 1.

Of these, 1,700 were predominantly AI-generated, scoring between 90%-100% AI detection.

Massey’s guidelines aim to balance ethical AI use with maintaining academic integrity.

Professor Giselle Byrnes, Provost at Massey, stressed the importance of clear assignment instructions, human judgement in detecting AI use, and using AI detection tools like Turnitin cautiously.

“Have a plan for conversations with students, and be empathetic,” Byrnes advised.

Provost Professor Giselle Byrnes.

The university encourages integrating AI into teaching while ensuring students understand its appropriate and ethical use.

As AI becomes commonplace in education and workplaces, universities must adapt to support students and uphold academic standards.