Artificial Intelligence Utilization and Students' Understanding of Copyright in Academic Work in Akwa Ibom State University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66545/cy3bcb26Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, copyright, plagiarism, academic integrityAbstract
This study examined artificial intelligence utilisation and students' understanding of copyright in academic work in Akwa Ibom State University. The objectives were to determine the extent of AI utilisation among students and assess their level of understanding of copyright, with a view to examining the influence of AI use on intellectual property awareness. A quantitative survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 360 undergraduate students using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and regression analysis were employed for data analysis. The findings revealed that students made high use of AI tools, particularly for grammar correction, editing, and idea generation, but only moderate use for writing full essays and projects. Students’ understanding of copyright and plagiarism was moderate, with most recognising traditional plagiarism but showing misconceptions about whether AI-generated text requires citation. Hypothesis testing indicated a significant positive relationship between AI utilisation and students’ understanding of copyright (r = 0.396, p < 0.05) and plagiarism (r = 0.445, p < 0.05). Regression results further showed that AI utilisation significantly predicted students’ overall intellectual property awareness (β = 0.42, R² = 0.18, p < 0.05). The study concluded that while AI enhances students’ awareness of academic integrity, misconceptions remain concerning intellectual property in the context of AI-generated content. It is recommended that Akwa Ibom State University incorporate AI ethics and intellectual property education into its curriculum. Additionally, the university should strengthen its policies on AI usage, provide access to plagiarism and AI-detection tools, and organise regular training workshops for both students and lecturers.
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