AI as Tutor, Tool, and Tension: Undergraduate Engineers Navigating Generative AI

This study explores how Engineering undergraduates use AI as tutor, thinking partner, and a productivity tool, employing multi-step verification and self-imposed boundaries around task stakes. While AI boosts confidence and engagement, students navigate inaccuracies, overreliance, ethical ambiguity, and inconsistent policies; raising unresolved tensions around transparency, academic integrity, and critical thinking development. Azadeh Hassani, Guy Trainin, Jordan Wheeler, & Tareq Daher