Main Article Content
Abstract
The rapid development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) has influenced how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and educators engage in academic writing. This study aims to explore how lecturers and students in Indonesian higher education integrate AI tools into their academic writing practices, perceive benefits and challenges of using AI, and concern with ethical considerations. Using a qualitative approach combining interviews and photovoice, the study involved thirteen participants from western, central, and eastern Indonesia. The findings show that AI tools are used not only for linguistic assistance but also for idea generation, prompt refinement, and collaborative meaning-making, reflecting an interactive relationship between users and technology. Participants reported that AI improves efficiency, creativity, and clarity in writing, while concerns were raised regarding hallucinated references, inconsistency, and overreliance that may reduce critical thinking and authenticity. The study also finds that AI should be used ethically as a complementary partner that supports, rather than replaces, human intellect in academic writing. The main ethical considerations include maintaining authorship, content verification, and proper referencing. The findings imply the need for pedagogical frameworks and institutional policies that promote ethical, reflective, and responsible AI use in higher education.
Keywords
Article Details
Copyright (c) 2025 Erna Andriyanti, Anis Firdatul Rochma, Hardian Zudianto, Banatul Murtafi’ah, Muhammad Wafa Akhyari, Jeane Tuilan

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References
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- Baek, C., Tate, T., & Warschauer, M. (2024). “ChatGPT seems too good to be true”: College students’ use and perceptions of generative AI. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 7, 100294.
- Balalle, H., & Pannilage, S. (2025). Reassessing academic integrity in the age of AI: A systematic review. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 101299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101299
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- Bian, X., & Wang, X. (2016). Chinese EFL undergraduates’ academic writing: Rhetorical difficulties and suggestions. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 6(1), 20-29.
- Chan, C.K.Y., Hu, W. Students’ voices on generative AI: perceptions, benefits, and challenges in higher education. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 20, 43 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00411-8.
- Chen, K., Tallant, A. C., & Selig, I. (2025). Exploring generative AI literacy in higher education: Student adoption, interaction, evaluation and ethical perceptions. Information and Learning Sciences, 126(1-2), 132-148.
- Cheng, A., Calhoun, A., & Reedy, G. (2025). Artificial intelligence-assisted academic writing: recommendations for ethical use. Advances in Simulation, 10(1), 22.
- Colby, R. S. (2025). Playing the digital dialectic game: Writing pedagogy with generative AI. Computers and Composition, 75, 102915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2025.102915
- Dang, A., & Wang, H. (2024). Ethical use of generative AI for writing practices. Journal of Second Language Writing, 66, 101157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2024.101157
- Eke, D. O. (2023). ChatGPT and the rise of generative AI: Threat to academic integrity? Journal of Responsible Technology, 13, 100060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrt.2023.100060
- Finn, H. B. (2018). Articulating struggle: ESL students’ perceived obstacles to success in a community college writing class. Journal of Second Language Writing, 42, 101-106.
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- Jin, F., Lin, C. H., & Lai, C. (2025). Modeling AI-assisted writing: How self-regulated learning influences writing outcomes. Computers in Human Behavior, 165, 108538.
- Khalifa, M., & Albadawy, M. (2024). Using artificial intelligence in academic writing and research: An essential productivity tool. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine Update, 5, 100145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpbup.2024.100145
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- Marzuki, Widiati, U., Rusdin, D., Darwin, & Indrawati, I. (2023). The impact of AI writing tools on the content and organization of students’ writing: EFL teachers’ perspective. Cogent Education, 10(2), 2236469.
- Mei, P., Brewis, D. N., Nwaiwu, F., Sumanathilaka, D., Alva-Manchego, F., & Demaree-Cotton, J. (2025). If ChatGPT can do it, where is my creativity? Generative AI, cognitive effort, and creativity in academic writing. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 4, 100140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2025.100140
- Prescott, F.J. (2018). In at the Deep End: The Struggles of First-Year Hungarian University Students Adapting to the Requirements of Written Academic Discourse in an EFL Context. In: Chitez, M., Doroholschi, C., Kruse, O., Salski, Ł., Tucan, D. (eds) University Writing in Central and Eastern Europe: Tradition, Transition, and Innovation. Multilingual Education, vol 29. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95198-0_12
- Pretorius, L., Huynh, H.-H., Pudyanti, A. A. A. R., Li, Z., Noori, A. Q., & Zhou, Z. (2025). Empowering international PhD students: Generative AI, Ubuntu, and the decolonisation of academic communication. The Internet and Higher Education, 67, 101038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2025.101038
- Rohmah, N., & Muslim, A. B. (2021, April). Writing anxiety in academic writing practice. In Thirteenth Conference on Applied Linguistics (CONAPLIN 2020) (pp. 348-354). Atlantis Press.
- Salih, S., Husain, O., Hamdan, M., Abdelsalam, S., Elshafie, H., & Motwakel, A. (2025). Transforming education with AI: A systematic review of ChatGPT’s role in learning, academic practices, and institutional adoption. Results in Engineering, 25, 103837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2024.103837
- Smit, M., Wagner, R. F., & Bond-Barnard, T. J. (2025). Ambiguous regulations for dealing with AI in higher education. Project Leadership and Society, 6, 100187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2025.100187
- Sun, Y., & Lan, G. (2025). Enhancing critical language awareness in EAL writing education amid Generative AI. System, 134, 103806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103806
- van Niekerk, J., Delport, P. M., & Sutherland, I. (2025). Addressing the use of generative AI in academic writing. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 8, 100342.
- Vetter, M. A., Lucia, B., Jiang, J., & Othman, M. (2024). Towards a framework for local interrogation of AI ethics: A case study on text generators, academic integrity, and composing with ChatGPT. Computers and Composition, 71, 102831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2024.102831
- Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education & Behavior, 24(3), 369–387. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819702400309
- Wang, C., Aguilar, S. J., Bankard, J. S., Bui, E., & Nye, B. (2024). Writing with AI: What College Students Learned from Utilizing ChatGPT for a Writing Assignment. Education Sciences, 14(9), 976. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090976
- Wang, C., Li, Z., & Bonk, C. (2024). Understanding self-directed learning in AI-Assisted writing: A mixed methods study of postsecondary learners. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 6, 100247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100247
- Wang, Y. (2024). Cognitive and sociocultural dynamics of self-regulated use of machine translation and generative AI tools in academic EFL writing. System, 126, 103505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103505
- Wang, Z., & Wang, C. (2025). Investigating L2 writers’ critical AI literacy in AI-assisted writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 67, 101187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2025.101187
- Yao, G., & Liu, Z. (2025). Can AI simulate or emulate human stance? Using metadiscourse analysis to compare human and ChatGPT-generated academic book reviews. Journal of Pragmatics, 247, 103–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2025.07.018
- Zhang, Y., & Su, H. (2023). (Mis)use of definition in Chinese EFL postgraduate students’ academic writing: A local grammar based investigation. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 65, 101283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2023.101283
References
Alghazo, S., Rabab’ah, G., El-Dakhs, D. A. S., & Mustafa, A. (2025). Engagement strategies in human-written and AI-generated academic essays: A corpus-based study. Ampersand, 15, 100237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2025.100237
Al-Sofi, B. B. M. A. (2024). Artificial intelligence-powered tools and academic writing: to use or not to use ChatGPT. Saudi Journal of Language Studies, 4(3), 145-161.
Altmae, S. et al. (2023). Artificial intelligence in scientific writing: a friend or a foe. RBMO, 47(1), 3-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.04.009
Baek, C., Tate, T., & Warschauer, M. (2024). “ChatGPT seems too good to be true”: College students’ use and perceptions of generative AI. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 7, 100294.
Balalle, H., & Pannilage, S. (2025). Reassessing academic integrity in the age of AI: A systematic review. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 101299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101299
Bedington, A., Halcomb, E. F., McKee, H. A., Sargent, T., & Smith, A. (2024). Writing with generative AI and human-machine teaming: Insights and recommendations from faculty and students. Computers and Composition, 71, 102833.
Belkina, M., Daniel, S., Nikolic, S., Haque, R., Lyden, S., Neal, P., Grundy, S., & Hassan, G. M. (2025). Implementing generative AI (GenAI) in higher education: A systematic review of case studies. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 100407.
Bian, X., & Wang, X. (2016). Chinese EFL undergraduates’ academic writing: Rhetorical difficulties and suggestions. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 6(1), 20-29.
Chan, C.K.Y., Hu, W. Students’ voices on generative AI: perceptions, benefits, and challenges in higher education. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 20, 43 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00411-8.
Chen, K., Tallant, A. C., & Selig, I. (2025). Exploring generative AI literacy in higher education: Student adoption, interaction, evaluation and ethical perceptions. Information and Learning Sciences, 126(1-2), 132-148.
Cheng, A., Calhoun, A., & Reedy, G. (2025). Artificial intelligence-assisted academic writing: recommendations for ethical use. Advances in Simulation, 10(1), 22.
Colby, R. S. (2025). Playing the digital dialectic game: Writing pedagogy with generative AI. Computers and Composition, 75, 102915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2025.102915
Dang, A., & Wang, H. (2024). Ethical use of generative AI for writing practices. Journal of Second Language Writing, 66, 101157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2024.101157
Eke, D. O. (2023). ChatGPT and the rise of generative AI: Threat to academic integrity? Journal of Responsible Technology, 13, 100060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrt.2023.100060
Finn, H. B. (2018). Articulating struggle: ESL students’ perceived obstacles to success in a community college writing class. Journal of Second Language Writing, 42, 101-106.
Garg, S., Ahmad, A., & Madsen, D. Ø. (2024). Academic writing in the age of AI: Comparing the reliability of ChatGPT and Bard with Scopus and Web of Science. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 9, 100563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100563
Huang, T., & Wu, C. (2025). The chain mediating effect of academic anxiety and performance. Computers and Education Open, 9, 100275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100275
Jin, F., Lin, C. H., & Lai, C. (2025). Modeling AI-assisted writing: How self-regulated learning influences writing outcomes. Computers in Human Behavior, 165, 108538.
Khalifa, M., & Albadawy, M. (2024). Using artificial intelligence in academic writing and research: An essential productivity tool. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine Update, 5, 100145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpbup.2024.100145
Kim, J., Yu, S., Detrick, R., & Li, N. (2025). Exploring students' perspectives on Generative AI-assisted academic writing. Education and Information Technologies, 30, 1265–1300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12878-7
Kostopolus, E. (2025). Student use of generative AI as a composing process supplement: Concerns for intellectual property and academic honesty. Computers and Composition, 75, 102894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2024.102894
Li, B., Tan, Y. L., Wang, C., & Lowell, V. (2025). Two years of innovation: A systematic review of emerging Generative AI in language education. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 9, 100445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2025.100445
Liu, M., Zhang, L. J., & Biebricher, C. (2024). Investigating students’ cognitive processes in generative AI-assisted digital multimodal composing and traditional writing. Computers & Education, 211, 104977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104977
Marzuki, Widiati, U., Rusdin, D., Darwin, & Indrawati, I. (2023). The impact of AI writing tools on the content and organization of students’ writing: EFL teachers’ perspective. Cogent Education, 10(2), 2236469.
Mei, P., Brewis, D. N., Nwaiwu, F., Sumanathilaka, D., Alva-Manchego, F., & Demaree-Cotton, J. (2025). If ChatGPT can do it, where is my creativity? Generative AI, cognitive effort, and creativity in academic writing. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 4, 100140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2025.100140
Prescott, F.J. (2018). In at the Deep End: The Struggles of First-Year Hungarian University Students Adapting to the Requirements of Written Academic Discourse in an EFL Context. In: Chitez, M., Doroholschi, C., Kruse, O., Salski, Ł., Tucan, D. (eds) University Writing in Central and Eastern Europe: Tradition, Transition, and Innovation. Multilingual Education, vol 29. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95198-0_12
Pretorius, L., Huynh, H.-H., Pudyanti, A. A. A. R., Li, Z., Noori, A. Q., & Zhou, Z. (2025). Empowering international PhD students: Generative AI, Ubuntu, and the decolonisation of academic communication. The Internet and Higher Education, 67, 101038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2025.101038
Rohmah, N., & Muslim, A. B. (2021, April). Writing anxiety in academic writing practice. In Thirteenth Conference on Applied Linguistics (CONAPLIN 2020) (pp. 348-354). Atlantis Press.
Salih, S., Husain, O., Hamdan, M., Abdelsalam, S., Elshafie, H., & Motwakel, A. (2025). Transforming education with AI: A systematic review of ChatGPT’s role in learning, academic practices, and institutional adoption. Results in Engineering, 25, 103837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2024.103837
Smit, M., Wagner, R. F., & Bond-Barnard, T. J. (2025). Ambiguous regulations for dealing with AI in higher education. Project Leadership and Society, 6, 100187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2025.100187
Sun, Y., & Lan, G. (2025). Enhancing critical language awareness in EAL writing education amid Generative AI. System, 134, 103806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103806
van Niekerk, J., Delport, P. M., & Sutherland, I. (2025). Addressing the use of generative AI in academic writing. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 8, 100342.
Vetter, M. A., Lucia, B., Jiang, J., & Othman, M. (2024). Towards a framework for local interrogation of AI ethics: A case study on text generators, academic integrity, and composing with ChatGPT. Computers and Composition, 71, 102831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2024.102831
Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education & Behavior, 24(3), 369–387. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819702400309
Wang, C., Aguilar, S. J., Bankard, J. S., Bui, E., & Nye, B. (2024). Writing with AI: What College Students Learned from Utilizing ChatGPT for a Writing Assignment. Education Sciences, 14(9), 976. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090976
Wang, C., Li, Z., & Bonk, C. (2024). Understanding self-directed learning in AI-Assisted writing: A mixed methods study of postsecondary learners. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 6, 100247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100247
Wang, Y. (2024). Cognitive and sociocultural dynamics of self-regulated use of machine translation and generative AI tools in academic EFL writing. System, 126, 103505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103505
Wang, Z., & Wang, C. (2025). Investigating L2 writers’ critical AI literacy in AI-assisted writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 67, 101187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2025.101187
Yao, G., & Liu, Z. (2025). Can AI simulate or emulate human stance? Using metadiscourse analysis to compare human and ChatGPT-generated academic book reviews. Journal of Pragmatics, 247, 103–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2025.07.018
Zhang, Y., & Su, H. (2023). (Mis)use of definition in Chinese EFL postgraduate students’ academic writing: A local grammar based investigation. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 65, 101283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2023.101283
