Authorship and Academic Integrity in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54674/ess.v37i2.1174
Keywords: Academic integrity, Authorship, Generative artificial intelligence, Educational ethics, Higher education

Abstract

This article analyzes the issue of academic integrity and the emerging forms of dishonesty derived from the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in educational contexts, exploring how text-generation tools—such as advanced chatbots—are transforming traditional notions of authorship, originality, and academic plagiarism. The objective is to understand how generative AI challenges conventional conceptions of academic integrity and to propose ethical and institutional guidelines for its responsible use. Methodologically, a qualitative literature review was conducted, drawing on recent studies (2019–2024) addressing ethics, authorship, plagiarism, and technological equity in higher education. The findings show that AI introduces unprecedented ethical dilemmas: it redefines human authorship, complicates the detection of automated plagiarism, and may widen the digital divide between institutions with differing technological access. Emerging approaches to detecting AI-generated content and promoting transparency in human–AI collaboration are also identified. The conclusions highlight the need to strengthen digital ethics education, develop institutional policies regulating the academic use of AI, and ensure equitable access to its benefits through open-source tools, thereby fostering critical reflection on authorship and intellectual responsibility in the age of generative artificial intelligence.

Author Biographies

Zaira Navarrete-Cazales, National Autonomous University of Mexico – School of Philosophy and Letters – Mexico City, Mexico

Full-time Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at UNAM; Ph.D. in Science from Cinvestav-IPN and National Researcher with the SNII-SECIHTI. Her career combines educational research, university teaching, graduate education, and participation in national and international academic networks. Her academic output includes books, articles, and chapters on comparative education, educational policy, internationalization, teacher training, ICT, artificial intelligence, inclusion, higher education, and university degree programs in Mexico and Latin America, thereby contributing to the critical analysis of contemporary educational processes.

Juan Crescenciano Cruz-Victoria , Polytechnic University of Tlaxcala, Mechatronics Engineering, Tlaxcala, Mexico.

Full-time Research Professor at the Polytechnic University of Tlaxcala and Ph.D. in Science from CINVESTAV-IPN. His research focuses on applied mathematics, nonlinear system control, modeling, simulation, and artificial intelligence. He has conducted research in system diagnostics, reduced-order observers, chaotic synchronization, machine learning applied to biotechnology, biosorption of toxic metals, Industry 4.0, and education. In addition to his scientific output, he has contributed to the training of undergraduate and graduate students, thesis supervision, curriculum updates, and the institutional strengthening of the Master’s in Engineering program, with a sustained interdisciplinary and applied focus.

Héctor M. Manzanilla-Granados, National Polytechnic Institute – School of Computer Science – Mexico City, Mexico

Full-time Professor and Researcher at the School of Computer Science (ESCOM) of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in Science and is a National Researcher in the National System of Researchers of SECIHTI. His academic output includes articles, book chapters, and collective works on information and communication technologies in education, artificial intelligence, extended reality, Education 5.0, digital inclusion, educational innovation, and higher education. His career combines research, teaching, technological development, and comparative analysis of educational policies in Latin America.

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Published
2026-05-30
How to Cite
Navarrete-Cazales, Z., Cruz-Victoria , J. C., & Manzanilla-Granados, H. M. (2026). Authorship and Academic Integrity in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education. Higher Education and Society Journal (ESS), 37(2), 205-222. https://doi.org/10.54674/ess.v37i2.1174
Issue
Vol 37 No 2 (2025): Artificial Generative Intelligence (GenAI) in teaching and research: best practices, challenges, and prospects
Section
Articles Thematic Dossier

Copyright (c) 2025 Zaira Navarrete-Cazales , Juan Crescenciano Cruz-Victoria , Héctor Manuel Manzanilla-Granados

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