Between Shortcut and Ethics: Navigating the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Academic Writing Among Indonesian Doctoral Students

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative tool in academic writing, leveraging advanced algorithms and natural language processing to significantly improve efficiency, quality and productivity. This study investigates the use of AI tools among Indonesian doctoral students, with a particular focus on ethical standards and their impact on critical thinking. Adopting a phenomenological approach, the research involved 81 participants who provided data through open-ended questionnaires, which were analysed thematically. The findings reveal that AI tools—such as ChatGPT, Deepl, Zotero, Scite AI, Connected Papers and Humata—are extensively used for generating ideas, brainstorming, data analysis, drafting, grammar correction, translation and literature management. While students acknowledge the advantages of AI in enhancing speed and efficiency, they express concerns regarding its ethical implications and potential impact on critical thinking. Key ethical issues include maintaining academic integrity, ensuring manual verification of AI-generated content and avoiding overreliance. The study underscores that, although AI facilitates idea generation and technical tasks, it may undermine critical thinking and analytical skills. To uphold ethical standards and preserve intellectual rigour, the study advocates for a balanced use of AI, positioning it as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, critical scholarly practices.