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ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)

ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS

Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Language Learners’ Critical

Thinking Skills, Language Learning, And Academic Integrity

Muhammad Azim Mustaqim Bin Azman,

Nurazwah Binti Musidi@Mohadih,

Nuha Batrisyia Binti

Khairul Azhar,

Muhamad Adam Bin Ahmad Farizan,

Nurul Asiqin Binti Mohamed Radzi,

Mohammad Radzi bin Manap*

1,2,3,4,5,6

Akademi Pengajian Bahasa, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam

*Corresponding Author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.924ILEIID0089

Received: 23 September 2025; Accepted: 30 September 2025; Published: 01 November 2025

ABSTRACT

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT into academic settings has

transformed the ways students engage with learning and writing. While these tools provide efficiency, idea

generation, and language support, their overuse has sparked growing concerns among educators, institutions,

and researchers. This paper investigates the effects of overreliance on ChatGPT in higher education, with

particular focus on three key areas: critical thinking, language learning, and academic integrity. Employing a

qualitative, literature-based methodology, the study systematically reviewed peer-reviewed articles published

between 2020 and 2025 from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Findings indicate

that frequent dependence on ChatGPT can hinder students’ development of critical thinking by encouraging

cognitive offloading, superficial engagement with content, and uncritical acceptance of AI-generated

information. Similarly, overreliance on the tool disrupts independent language learning, as ChatGPT often

provides generic, non-personalised responses that cannot replicate authentic human interaction or address

complex linguistic and cultural nuances. Furthermore, the study highlights rising academic integrity concerns,

including plagiarism, blurred authorship, inequities in assessment, and the inability of current institutional

frameworks to detect AI-generated work effectively. While ChatGPT offers significant potential for enhancing

efficiency and supporting writing mechanics, unchecked reliance poses risks to students’ creativity, autonomy,

and authentic learning. The review concludes by calling for improved AI literacy among educators and

students, updated institutional policies, and further empirical research to explore long-term implications.

Balancing AI use with pedagogical integrity is essential to safeguard academic development and ensure ethical

adoption in education.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence, excessive dependence, cognitive engagement, writing skills, integrity

INTRODUCTION

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT are being integrated into academic life rapidly in this

constantly changing technological landscape [1]. The generative artificial tool offers students a convenient way

to enhance their learning experience and productivity efficiently, which adapts to users’ understanding [2].

Despite its convenience for students, most common AI tools like ChatGPT have raised concerns about the

consequences of overreliance on such tools. The increasing reliance on AI tools in the educational environment

has sparked both enthusiasm and concern among educators, students, and academic institutions [3]. While AI

helps in generating ideas and completing tasks [4], its prolonged usage may negatively impact students'

educational development and independence by hindering the cultivation of critical thinking skills, undermining

language learning, and raising significant concerns regarding academic integrity. Furthermore, students who

value efficiency over academic work may develop a dependent mindset from the usage of AI-generated

content, compromising their core academic competencies and lowering their motivation to interact extensively

with academic materials [5]. Therefore, this paper aims to examine how overreliance on ChatGPT affects

students’ critical thinking and cognitive engagement in writing tasks. Additionally, it also aims to explore the

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impact of AI specifically ChatGPT on students’ language learning and to identify emerging issues related to

academic integrity and the use of AI tools in academic writing. The objectives as well as the relevant research

questions are listed here.

Aim & Research Questions

Research Aims:

RO1: To explore how the use of ChatGPT influences students’ development of critical thinking skills.

RO2: To examine the impact of ChatGPT on students’ language learning?

RO3: To identify the academic integrity concerns that may arise when students use AI tools for academic

writing.

Research Questions:

RQ1: In what ways does ChatGPT usage influences students’ critical thinking skills?

RQ2: How does ChatGPT affect students’ language learning?

RQ3: What are the academic integrity concerns associated with students’ use of AI tools in academic writing?

METHODOLOGY

This paper adopted a qualitative, literature-based research design to address the three research objectives and

three corresponding research questions. This paper utilizes a systematic review and synthesis of recent

scholarly literature to explore the topic comprehensively as its methodology.

Based on their relevance to the central focus of the paper, their contribution to the field and their alignment

with the research objectives, several peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2020–2025 were

selected. 25 articles were retrieved from reputable academic databases such as Scopus, Web of Science,

Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect using a combination of keywords including artificial intelligence, excessive

dependence, cognitive engagement, writing skills, and integrity. These papers were conducted using various

methodologies as shown in Fig.1.

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Fig. 1 Methodologies used in previous studies.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Major findings in literature review

Based on all the literature review, listed below are the keywords that were collected representing the findings

of the studies. Those identified keywords are:

Key words used in describing negative impacts of AI:

inversion effects

cognitive and critical thinking decline

loss of authorial voice

shallow engagement

reduce deep learning

loss of authentic voice

reduce creativity

over dependency

cognitive offloading

cheating and plagiarism

irresponsible use

challenges in translating natural language inputs

integrity issues

accuracy

cultural bias

lack genuine interaction

over reliance

job security threat

exactness of information

impact on education sector

not superior to traditional method

higher plagiarism tendency

hallucinated content

dampen independence

lack policy

increase higher academic workload

time pressure

low academic performance

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memory loss

procrastination

Key words used in describing positive impacts of AI:

support personalised learning

enhance writing mechanics and feedback

negative correlation between AI and critical thinking

improve quality and variety of speech syhthesis system

no adverse impact on motivation

aid language acquisition

stimulate interactive dialogue, learning

should be integrated in curriculum

promote learning content production

efficiency and engagement boost

These keywords are further discussed in the following sections that are divided into three main aspects:

Hindrance of Critical Thinking Skills Development, Disruption of Language Learning and Rise of Academic

Integrity Concerns.

Hindrance of Critical Thinking Skills Development

The emergence of AI tools such as ChatGPT in today’s education has greatly sparked debate over its effect on

students’ academic writing skills, typically critical thinking. Some might argue that AI tools can assist students

with tackling academic tasks, enhancing students’ learning efficiency. As mentioned by [6], AI tools can help

students with managing repetitive tasks, boosting their efficiency and reducing their mental load. Nevertheless,

some studies have proven otherwise, highlighting concerns on its overuse. [7] pointed out that overreliance on

ChatGPT can hinder students’ engagement in reflective thinking while hindering their high order thinking

skills development. This is parallel with the observation made by [8], emphasising that there is a negative

relationship between students’ reliance on AI tools in completing assignments and problem-solving skills.

Additionally, [6] and [8] stressed that the false credibility in AI-generated contents and responses could cause

students to impulsively accept the information, neglecting their ability to critically evaluate the content

validity.

This concern was further backed up by [6], signifying that cognitive offloading caused by reliance on AI is a

driving force to the hindrance of students’ critical thinking. More specifically, his study demonstrated that

overreliance of AI tools corresponds with reduced critical thinking scores, typically among students and

younger users. Likewise, [2] added that AI tools may diminish students’ engagement with the learning content,

ultimately leading to superficial learning despite its ability to support writing mechanics. Moreover, there have

been concerns highlighting that students may lose their authenticity and become over-reliant on answers

derived from AI tools, causing jeopardy on their creativity and critical engagement ([2], [3]).

Disruption of Language Learning

Next, overreliance on ChatGPT negatively affects students’ ability to learn language independently. N7 argues

that AI tools were built to transform old practices into a more structural and engaging approach. This leads to

the facilitation of language models, employing machine-learning algorithms and generating human-like

language ([10], [11]). However, a study carried out by [9] proved otherwise, justifying that ChatGPT limits its

own capacity to provide personalised feedback. Additionally, [12] explained that even though AI is proven to

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be beneficial, the tool remains unreliable to conduct care work that requires empathy as a contributing factor

due to the inability to comprehend human emotions and morality. This corresponds to research conducted by

[13] who emphasised that language learning is a thorough process that cannot be fully replicated by AI. He

added that the lack of comprehension will affect the richness and effectiveness of students’ learning

experience.

Furthermore, [20] stated his concerns on how overreliance on AI could limit opportunities for real human

connection which is essential for language acquisition. The inaccuracy of ChatGPT’s responses, which are

incredibly generic, reduces its ability to emotionally connect with the users, causing a decline in the process of

learning a language [15]. Similarly, [16] emphasised that meeting students’ emotional and social requirements

during the learning process is challenging because ChatGPT lacks the authentic human interaction and

communication experiences despite its ability to mimic human conversation. In addition, [17] supported this

by stating that AI-powered language learning may not be able to handle intricate linguistic or cultural problems

as it lacks the comprehensive knowledge of human teachers.

Rise of Academic Integrity Concerns

Over-reliance on ChatGPT usage has raised concerns about integrity and plagiarism. While meant to assist

with ideation and structure, ChatGPT is now used to write assignments with minimal input. As seen in [18],

this reliance hinders skills development as students focus efficiency rather than improving their skills.

Similarly, [19] highlighted how educational institutions struggle with outdated plagiarism-detection software

and lack of training in identifying AI-generated text, emphasizing the need for clearer policies.

Beyond plagiarism, ChatGPT complicates authorship in academic work. A study conducted by [20] claimed

that ChatGPT’s output often mirrored human writing so closely that it is difficult to determine the original

author. This aligns with the observation by [19], claiming that these tools generate output based on unattributed

sources, leading to unintentional appropriation of ideas. This becomes concerning when students submit

ChatGPT-generated content with no personal input as it no longer represents their intellectual ownership.

Consequently, [21] suggest that ChatGPT undermines academic integrity by generating content with minimal

input, thus lacking genuine authorship.

As students find ease in utilising ChatGPT, overusing the tool for assignments bypasses the core purpose of

university education which is promoting independent thinking and knowledge generation [22]. Some students

may be more tech-savvy and can utilize AI tools effectively, while others lack the tools or knowledge [23].

Therefore, students who use ChatGPT may get better grades than peers who work independently, resulting in

inequity and unfair competition in assessments ([24], [25], [23]).

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Based on the review and synthesis of recent literature, three key findings emerged that address the research

objectives and questions of this paper.

Firstly, the use of ChatGPT has both supportive and limiting effects on students’ critical thinking skills. While

AI tools can reduce students’ cognitive load by handling repetitive tasks and providing quick access to

information [6], overreliance on these tools may hinder the development of higher-order thinking skills.

Several studies highlighted that when students depend too heavily on AI-generated content, they are less likely

to engage deeply with learning materials or critically evaluate the accuracy and credibility of the information

presented ([7], [8]). This phenomenon, referred to as cognitive offloading, may lead to superficial

understanding and a decline in problem-solving and reflective thinking abilities, especially among younger

learners.

Secondly, the findings indicate that ChatGPT has mixed implications for language learning. While it can

facilitate language practice and provide structured feedback, the tool lacks the emotional depth, cultural

understanding, and adaptability of human instructors ([12], [17]). Its generic and sometimes inaccurate

responses limit its capacity to provide meaningful interaction, which is crucial for effective language

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acquisition ([16], [15]). This suggests that while ChatGPT can complement language learning, it cannot

replace authentic, interpersonal communication necessary for mastering a language. Overreliance on AI may

therefore restrict students’ opportunities to develop independent learning strategies and meaningful linguistic

engagement.

Lastly, the use of ChatGPT raises significant concerns regarding academic integrity. Studies report that some

students use AI tools to complete assignments with minimal personal input, which challenges traditional

notions of authorship and originality ([18], [20]). The difficulty of distinguishing AI-generated text from

human writing further complicates plagiarism detection and policy enforcement [19]. Additionally, unequal

access to AI tools creates issues of fairness, as students with greater technological resources may gain an

advantage over others [23].

In summary, the findings highlight a dual perspective: ChatGPT has the potential to enhance learning when

used responsibly, yet its overuse may hinder critical thinking, limit authentic language learning, and raise

ethical challenges for educators and institutions.

CONCLUSION

This literature review emphasised three major concerns resulting from the overreliance on ChatGPT in

students’ academic performance: hindered critical thinking, weakened language learning, and growing

academic integrity issues. While the AI tool provides various benefits, its extensive usage of dependence could

threaten students’ academic development and the quality of their work. As educators may face difficulties in

assessing students’ authentic abilities, institutions may encounter challenges in maintaining academic integrity

standards. These findings point to the necessity of accountability and awareness when integrating AI into the

academic landscape.

Hence, future research should focus on studies that further explore the long-term impact of continuous

exposure to AI tools on students’ learning habits in different academic fields. Educators could improve their AI

literacy, obtain essential training for the correct usage of AI in educational settings, and further assist students

with the use of the tools in their tasks. By addressing these academic concerns collectively, a future where AI

technology is a significant influence that adjusts to students’ changing preferences, upholds ethics, and

supports overall educational goals is possible.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A special appreciation goes to Akademi Pengajian Bahasa, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia

(Akademi Pengajian Bahasa Internal Grant).

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