[Editor’s Note] Currently, artificial intelligence technology is accelerating its penetration into various economic and social fields, and the accompanying security risks and ethical challenges are becoming increasingly prominent. During the National Cyber Security Publicity Week in 2026, Guangming.com and Popular Science China launched a series of popular science videos on AI technology ethics to guide the public to rationally understand the logic of technology, uphold the concept of algorithms for good, and jointly build a network security ecosystem.
For the final paper, I spent three days researching information, making outlines, and writing word for word, but my deskmate only spent three minutes letting AI generate the full text, and then made some minor changes. In the end, our scores were about the same—is this fair?
When AI can write papers quickly and decently, is “writing papers with AI” an aid or cheating?
The difference between assistance and ghostwriting is who is doing the thinking.
When AI helps you organize documents, polish expressions, check grammar, and sort out logic, you think about these yourself and then use tools to make the results better. This is called assistance, and it is the rational use of new tools.
When AI forms arguments, organizes arguments, and completes the entire writing for you, you are only responsible for finally “translating” the AI’s words into something more like your own. At this time, thinking no longer belongs to you, all you do is moving and packaging. This is crossing the line.
To be more serious, using AI to fabricate data, forge citations, and conceal AI participation—this is clear academic misconduct and deception.
Rather than discussing whether tools can be used, the more core judgment criterion depends on whose thinking results are in this paper and whether the conclusions have scientific basis.
The value of academics lies in people’s original thinking. The reason why a paper is your work is because you asked the questions, made the arguments, and made the conclusions you want to understand. But if these are all handed over to AI, will the ones signed with your name still be your results?
Because of this, relevant regulations are constantly being clarified. Many universities and academic journals require authors to disclose the usage scenarios of artificial intelligence tools and clearly mark the application of AI in each link of the research. The Ministry of Science and Technology’s “Guidelines for Responsible Research Conduct (2023)” proposes that the content formed by the use of generative artificial intelligence in scientific research results should be marked; the “Guidelines for Regulating the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Postgraduate Dissertations and Practical Results” commissioned by the Department of Degree Management and Graduate Education of the Ministry of Education further elaborates, requiring thesis to be accompanied by an artificial intelligence use statement, stating the name, use procedures and purposes of the AI tool.
This shows that a consensus in the academic community is forming. In the face of the ever-changing artificial intelligence, we should actively embrace technological changes, learn to use AI correctly to stimulate ideas, explore discoveries, and continuously enhance research capabilities. AI can be used, but it cannot be hidden, let alone replace your thinking.
The question has never been “should we use AI or not?” but “which things can be handed over to AI and which things must be done by ourselves.” Efficiency is the value of AI, whether the thinking and results still belong to you. Once your name is signed on the paper, you are responsible for every word in it. AI cannot shoulder this responsibility for you.
Therefore, when using AI, you must have a strong balance in mind.
It can be your right-hand assistant, helping you organize information, sort out expressions, and improve efficiency; but what truly reflects your level is your opinions, your arguments, and your findings.
