Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a detailed examination

Abstract

Introduction: As AI tools have become popular in academia, concerns about their impact on student originality and academic integrity have arisen.

Methods: This quality improvement project examined first-year nurse anesthesiology students' use of AI for an academic writing assignment. Students generated, edited, and reflected on AI-produced content. Their work was analyzed for commonalities related to the perceived ease of use, accuracy, and overall impressions.

Results: Students found AI tools easy to use with fast results, but reported concerns with inaccuracies, superficiality, and unreliable citations and formatting. Despite these issues, some saw potential in AI for brainstorming and proofreading.

Implications for international audience: Clear guidelines are necessary for AI use in academia. Further research should explore AI's long-term impact on academic writing and learning outcomes.

Conclusions: While AI tools offer speed and convenience, they currently lack the depth required for rigorous academic work.

Keywords: AI; academic writing; artificial intelligence; machine learning; nursing.