Examining Student and Teacher Perspectives on Undisclosed Use of Generative AI in Academic Work

With the widespread adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, ethical issues are being raised around the disclosure of their use in publishing, journalism, or artwork. Recent research has found that college students are increasingly using GenAI tools; however, we know less about when, why, and how they choose to hide or disclose their use of GenAI in academic work. To address this gap, we conducted an online survey (n=97) and interviews with fifteen college students followed by interviews with nine teachers who had experience with students’ undisclosed use of GenAI. Our findings elucidate the strategies students employ to hide their GenAI use and their justifications for doing so, alongside the strategies teachers follow to manage such non-disclosure. We unpack students’ non-disclosure of GenAI through the lens of cognitive dissonance and discuss practical considerations for teachers and students regarding ways to promote transparency in GenAI use in higher education.