ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL ETHICS: A STUDY OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PRACTICES

The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education presents both opportunities and ethical challenges for university students. This study explores students’ understanding and practices of digital ethics in AI use for academic purposes. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through in–depth interviews with 20 university students in Surakarta, Indonesia, and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show that students generally demonstrate awareness of digital ethics, particularly regarding academic integrity and responsible AI use. However, this awareness is not consistently reflected in their actual practices. A gap emerges between ethical understanding and behaviour, especially under academic pressure, tight deadlines, and heavy workloads. Students encounter ethical dilemmas such as uncertainty about authorship, minimal modification of AI–generated content, and lack of clarity in attribution. Additionally, students’ decisions are influenced by peer norms, institutional expectations, and cultural values. This study highlights that digital ethics in AI use is not only an individual issue but also socially and culturally embedded. The findings suggest the need for clearer institutional guidelines and the integration of digital ethics into higher education curricula to promote responsible AI use.