The Ethics of AI-Assisted Academic Writing. Authenticity Criteria in the Evaluation of Students’ Assignments

The increasing integration of generative technology into the academic research landscape has sparked disputes regarding the new implications of AI on academic integrity and the evolving role that authenticity plays in this context. This paper explores the issue of authenticity in AI-assisted academic writing, as well as the potential risks to the value of intellectual creation. While the current legislation on artificial intelligence and copyright is still under development, with countries recognizing the need to adapt existing legal frameworks to accommodate the changes brought about by AI advancements, universities are trying to find new ways of fighting the escalating AI-plagiarism phenomenon. Authenticity is a measure of both integrity and value in academic research, envisaged as proof of researchers’ academic honesty, originality of their creation, truthfulness and verifiability of the scientific data. The paper proposes the use of authenticity criteria when evaluating students’ written academic assignments, criteria that can help educators to distinguish between original creation and AI-generated content. While acknowledging the technical utility of AI systems, the paper argues that human attribution and authenticity are the only qualities that can grant value to academic writing.