When AI works: academic innovation or Tech trap?

Plagiarism undermines the ethical principles of academic integrity in Higher Education by appropriating others' ideas or content. This dishonest act harms both the individual and the credibility of universities. The rise of generative AI tools, such as language models (e.g., ChatGPT), has made plagiarism detection more complex, creating the phenomenon of "AI-giarism." Understanding AI’s impact is crucial to develop effective prevention strategies. A survey of 64 professors at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) used the SPP-AI-UHE to assess perceptions of academic plagiarism and AI. The analysis, conducted with SPSS, examined three areas: non-AI plagiarism, AI-assisted plagiarism, and overall comprehension. Faculty identified copying without citation, paraphrasing without credit, and self-reuse of work as plagiarism. However, views on AI vary-editing and verification are seen as acceptable, but full content generation remains controversial. Increased training is recommended to ensure ethical AI use.