What do different generations of scholars believe about the use of AI as a collaborator, and what does that mean for the future of publishing?

During the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a prevalent feature of classroom dynamics and student learning systems, especially in the field of writing. Writing teachers and students have had to grapple with the ethics of using AI throughout the various stages of the writing process, from creation to publication. Do the generational differences between these two groups lead to a discrepancy in the perceived dishonesty of collaborating with AI to write, or are students and teachers similar in their perceptions?

THE RESEARCH

In April 2024, Professor John R. Gallagher of the University of Illinois and Dr. Kyle Wagner of the University of Findlay published a research article entitled “Comparing Student and Writing Instructor Perceptions of Academic Dishonesty When Collaborators Are Artificial Intelligence or Human.” Their research answers questions about what opinions the rising generation (students) have about AI-assisted writing compared to those currently in the workforce (teachers).

Gallagher and Wagner surveyed 915 students and writing teachers. They gave each participant  10 randomized writing-related scenarios that described a hypothetical student writer using either an AI collaborator or a human collaborator. The scenarios covered collaboration in many aspects of the writing process, from brainstorming (e.g., gathering sources) and composing (e.g., writing a paper) to revising (e.g., providing individualized feedback). The participants then rated each scenario according to how dishonest or honest they thought the collaboration would be.

When compared to human collaborators, AI agents of collaboration are
perceived as more academically dishonest … when the AI produces text.”

—John R. Gallagher and Kyle Wagner

In their results the researchers acknowledged that students and teachers contrasted in their rating about the extent of dishonesty (or honesty) each scenario represented. However, students and teachers agreed that “when compared to human collaborators, AI agents of collaboration are perceived as more academically dishonest…when the AI produces text” (Gallagher and Wagner 2024, 277). This rating was the same for any form of collaboration where text was composed. The survey scenarios perceived to be the most honest were those in which the writer collaborated with AI or another person to brainstorm or revise.

THE IMPLICATIONS

The findings of this survey indicate that when it comes to collaborating with AI on academic writing, the opinions held by the rising generation are similar to those of current professionals. Students will one day be working and writing in the publishing industry, and the perceived dishonesty of collaborating with AI could lead to a decrease in its use as these future authors write.

As technology progresses, leaders in the publishing world might also see more AI tools become available for other, more “honest” parts of the writing process, like brainstorming and receiving feedback. Publishers should be aware of these trends so that they know why AI-assisted writing may appear in their workspace and how to create fair regulations while keeping the perceptions of their coworkers in mind.

To learn more about students’ and teachers’ views about the dishonesty of using AI to write, read the full article:

Gallagher, John R., and Kyle Wagner. 2024. “Comparing Student and Writing Instructor Perceptions of Academic Dishonesty When Collaborators Are Artificial Intelligence or Human.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication 38 (3): 266–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/10506519241239937.

—Hadley Parker, Editing Research

FEATURE IMAGE BY ZOSHUA COLAH

Find more research

Discover college students’ thoughts on using AI in class in the 2024 psychology study by Jenel T. Cavazos, Keane A. Hauck, Hannah M. Baskin, and Catherine M. Bain: “ChatGPT Goes to College: Exploring Student Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom.” Teaching of Psychology, 52 (3): 357-368.https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283241268829.

Find out how AI is used in the psychiatry publishing industry in Brendan D. Kelly’s (2025) research article: “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Academic Publishing in Psychiatry.” International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2025.102105.

Read more about AI perspectives in Macady Whitehead’s Editing Research article: “Negotiating Trust and Technology: Editors’ Perspectives on AI Integration.”