Penelitian ini bertujuan mengkaji persepsi dan strategi mahasiswa dalam menjaga integritas akademik saat menggunakan alat Kecerdasan Buatan (AI) dalam penulisan akademik. Menggunakan metode campuran, penelitian melibatkan 40 mahasiswa Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Kuningan yang berpengalaman menggunakan ChatGPT, Grammarly, dan Quillbot. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner dan wawancara semi-terstruktur. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa AI dianggap membantu dalam meningkatkan tata bahasa, struktur, pengembangan ide, dan efisiensi penulisan. Namun, hanya 37,5% mahasiswa yang merasa lebih percaya diri menulis, sementara sebagian besar khawatir terhadap penurunan orisinalitas dan kemampuan berpikir kritis akibat ketergantungan pada AI. Mahasiswa menerapkan enam strategi utama untuk menjaga integritas akademik: memposisikan AI sebagai alat bantu, memparafrase dan memodifikasi keluaran AI, menambahkan opini pribadi dan referensi eksternal, memeriksa orisinalitas dengan alat deteksi plagiarisme, menerapkan kesadaran etis, serta mengatur penggunaan AI di bawah tekanan waktu. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa mahasiswa berperan aktif dan kritis dalam memanfaatkan AI secara etis. Disimpulkan bahwa integrasi AI dalam penulisan akademik memerlukan panduan institusional, pelatihan formal, dan pendekatan berpusat pada mahasiswa yang menekankan tanggung jawab dan orisinalitas.

This study investigates higher education students’ perceptions and strategic approaches to maintaining academic integrity while using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in academic writing. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research involved 40 English Education students from Universitas Kuningan who had experience using tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Quillbot. Data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore both quantitative patterns and in-depth personal strategies. The results revealed that students generally perceive AI tools as helpful, especially in improving grammar, structure, idea development, and writing efficiency. However, only 37.5% reported increased confidence in writing, while the rest expressed concerns about the potential reduction in originality and critical thinking due to overreliance on AI. Students demonstrated high ethical awareness and adopted six key strategies to uphold academic integrity: treating AI as a tool rather than a substitute, actively paraphrasing and modifying AI outputs, incorporating personal opinions and external references, verifying originality through plagiarism detection tools, implementing ethical awareness and moral reasoning, and managing the use of AI under time pressure. These findings highlight that students are not passive users of technology but rather active and critical agents who seek to balance the benefits of AI with academic authenticity. The study concludes that while AI offers significant support in academic writing, its ethical integration requires institutional guidance, formal training, and a student-centered approach that emphasizes responsibility and originality.