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Exploring the ethical use of LLM chatbots in higher education

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  • Mvondo, Gustave Florentin Nkoulou
  • Niu, Ben
  • Eivazinezhad, Salman

Abstract

The rise of LLM chatbots has created complex gray areas regarding plagiarism, blurring the once-clear boundaries between original creation and derivation. This has raised significant concerns about academic integrity in higher education, with reports indicating that students are misusing these tools for academic assignments. However, research on the factors that can promote ethical use remains limited. Grounded in social cognitive and rational choice theories, we propose a model that integrates environmental factors (ethical climate and ethical supervision), personal factors (moral consciousness and ethical chatbot self-efficacy), a technological factor (awareness of chatbot usage policies), and risk factors (AI writing detection probability and sanction severity). We collected data from 703 US students and analyzed the sample using PLS-SEM and fsQCA. The findings reveal that all hypothesized relationships, except for awareness of chatbot usage policies, are supported. Additionally, fsQCA identifies three configurations associated with high and low ethical use.

Suggested Citation

  • Mvondo, Gustave Florentin Nkoulou & Niu, Ben & Eivazinezhad, Salman, 2025. "Exploring the ethical use of LLM chatbots in higher education," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:200:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325003984
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115575
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