Academic Integrity vs. Artificial Intelligence: a tale of two AIs

Abstract

This paper examines how academic integrity is conceptualized and practiced in Swedish higher education in the context of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT. It offers both an institutional and a student-centered perspective, drawing on university guidelines, pedagogical resources, and disciplinary cases, alongside a phenomenographic analysis of student reflections on AI use in academic work. The empirical data, gathered from 42 students in a course on academic writing, reveal a spectrum of attitudes—ranging from full transparency to pragmatic distinctions between substantial and auxiliary uses of AI. These reflections are situated within a broader cultural framework where academic integrity is treated not as a rigid code but as a relational and adaptive practice. The text argues that Sweden’s approach to academic integrity emphasizes trust, pedagogical support, and context-sensitive reasoning, rather than surveillance or prohibition. By analyzing institutional responses, cultural values, and student reasoning together, the article offers insights into how academic ethics are evolving in an era of AI-driven transformation.