This study aims to examine the evolving challenges and emerging solutions related to students' academic integrity in higher education amid the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), particularly tools such as ChatGPT. It explores how these technologies are reshaping students' approaches to learning, authorship, and assessment, while simultaneously challenging established notions of originality, ethical conduct, and academic responsibility.
A narrative review methodology was employed, encompassing a broad range of scholarly and policy-oriented sources published between 2019 and 2025. The reviewed literature includes peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, books, theses, and other relevant scholarly contributions. The initial search identified 532 studies, which were systematically screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following duplicate removal, title and abstract screening, and full-text assessment, 101 publications were retained for qualitative synthesis. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify key challenges and corresponding response strategies, with particular emphasis on student behavior, assessment practices, and institutional responses within GenAI-integrated learning environments.
The review identifies ten major challenges to students' academic integrity in the GenAI era, including ethical ambiguity, the absence of clear institutional policies, vulnerabilities in assessment design, and the limited effectiveness of AI-detection tools. Journal articles constituted the dominant publication type, accounting for approximately 84% of the reviewed studies (85 out of 101), indicating strong and sustained scholarly engagement with the topic. The temporal distribution of publications reveals a sharp increase in academic interest from 2023 onward, with the most substantial growth occurring in 2024 and continuing into 2025. Proposed responses emphasize assessment redesign, the integration of digital and AI literacy initiatives, student-centered ethics education, and the development of institutional frameworks that promote responsible and transparent AI use.
This paper provides a timely and comprehensive synthesis of current research on students' academic integrity in the context of generative AI. It highlights the urgency of safeguarding core academic values while embracing technological innovation and advocates for balanced, evidence-based strategies that support responsible student engagement with AI tools. By offering a nuanced understanding of how generative AI intersects with student ethics, learning practices, and institutional governance, this study contributes to ongoing scholarly discourse, informs educational policy development, and supports the cultivation of integrity-driven practices in AI-enhanced academic environments.
