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ABSTRACT
Artificial intelligence tools, especially Generative AI (GenAI), are increasingly used in higher education, particularly in academic writing skills. Among these tools, ChatGPT has become popular among university students because it can generate ideas, correct grammar, and help to organize essays. However, excessive reliance on ChatGPT may negatively influence students’ independent thinking and writing development. Since essay writing is an essential skill for English-major students, understanding the risks of overusing AI tools has become increasingly important. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the impacts of utilizing GenAI tools, especially ChatGPT, in essay writing among sophomores at the University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology (HUFLIT). The study involved the participation of 127 HUFLIT sophomores who had experience using ChatGPT in essay writing. The questionnaire of a 5-point Likert for 121 participants and the semi-structured interviews for six were administered to the students, examining four aspects: dependence on AI-generated content, reduction in independent idea generation, impact on critical thinking and the overall development of writing autonomy. The results revealed that students perceived the impact of overusing ChatGPT at a moderate level. The study focuses on evaluating the potential negative impacts and the level of student dependency on writing skills; in addition, several pedagogical implications were suggested to promote responsible AI use and support students’ independent writing development.
Keywords: ChatGPT, AI-assisted writing, essay writing skills, English-major sophomores
