ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN THE AGE OF GENERATIVE AI: A SURVEY-BASED STUDY OF TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING STUDENTS’ ETHICAL PERCEPTIONS
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN THE AGE OF GENERATIVE AI: A SURVEY-BASED STUDY OF TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING STUDENTS’ ETHICAL PERCEPTIONS

Summary/Abstract: This study investigates third-year undergraduates’ perceptions of the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools in the context of diploma paper writing. Drawing on survey data collected from 64 students from the Department of Translation, Interpretation and Applied Linguistics at Moldova State University in March 2026, the study examines patterns of AI use, perceived benefits and ethical risks, and the academic writing challenges that shape students’ engagement with these tools. The findings reveal near-universal AI adoption, with 98.4% of respondents reporting use of GenAI during their studies. ChatGPT dominates as the most widely used tool, followed by DeepL, which reflects the discipline-specific terminological needs of the students. While they acknowledge practical benefits, particularly time efficiency and writing support, respondents simultaneously express significant ethical concerns. A large majority recognise the risks of cognitive dependence, echoing Benjamin Moorhouse et al.’s (2025) finding that students describe GenAI reliance as leading to cognitive inertia and a reduced desire to think independently. Concerns about plagiarism and content fabrication emerge as further concerns, with students reporting concrete experiences of AI hallucination. The data on academic writing challenges reveal that students struggle most with skills such as paraphrasing, argumentation, and coherence development, and turn to GenAI as a compensatory strategy in these areas. The study concludes that, as Miriam Sullivan et al. (2023) argue, the pedagogical potential of these tools can only be realised alongside explicit institutional guidelines, and that Translation and Interpreting programmes urgently need AI literacy frameworks supporting informed, critical engagement with GenAI.

• Details
• Contents