In his presentation at the AI Coffee chat entitled: “Cultivating Integrity in the Age of AI,” Dr Karabo Maiyane, Head of the Department of Philosophy at Mandela University, challenged institutions to move beyond reactive measures and engage in deeper ethical reflection.
His central message was clear: cultivating integrity must be the priority, not policing student actions and enforcing punitive measures.
Most responses so far have focused on regulation and tracking. Institutions have issued new guidelines, installed plagiarism detectors, are reviewing academic integrity policies, and even debated the possibility of banning the use of AI applications. While necessary, these actions often address symptoms rather than causes.
Dr Maiyane invited stakeholders and students to reflect on what integrity truly means in academic spaces. He presented several philosophical perspectives, ultimately advocating for “integrity as a moral purpose” – a concept that links ethical behaviour to personal values and social responsibility.
In this view, academic integrity becomes less about punishment and more about building character. To realise this vision, he proposed a set of strategies:
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Clear, ethical guidelines embedded in course design
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Transparent AI usage policies and tracking tools that encourage accountability
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Licensed, equitable access to AI platforms
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Ethics education that is embedded across the curriculum
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Contextualised assessments that reflect process, not just output
These strategies, he noted, are not just technical fixes – they are cultural signals. They communicate that ethical conduct matters as much as academic performance.
“We must model the behaviour we expect, integrity is not taught by policy alone – it is cultivated through leadership, example, and support,” said Dr Maiyane.
This shift requires a broader institutional commitment. Leadership must go beyond compliance frameworks to build environments that reinforce ethical thinking and trust. Staff development, curriculum reform, and inclusive policy design are critical to this transformation.
AI presents both risks and opportunities. But as Dr Maiyane concluded, it is also a chance to renew the purpose of higher education, not just as a space for knowledge production, but for values formation.
For stakeholders, the message is simple but profound: Academic integrity in the age of AI is not just about keeping pace with technology – it is about leading with purpose.