Traditional methods of combating plagiarism have proven ineffective due to the dual use of AI chatbots to
plagiarize and avoid detection. Therefore, there is a growing rationale to focus on moral responsibility towards
protecting academic integrity. This study investigated the impact of students’ moral intentions and moral obligations on their attitudes toward avoiding AI-assisted plagiarism (AIgiarism). Data was collected from a
representative group of 263 students and analyzed using “partial least squares structural equation modeling”
(PLS-SEM) and “artificial neural network” (ANN). The results revealed that students’ moral intentions and obligations positively influenced their attitudes towards avoiding AIgarism. “Protection motivation theory” (PMT)
constructs positively predicted students’ moral intentions. Moreover, the results of the ANN analysis showed that
moral obligation and intention were the most critical factors influencing students’ attitudes toward avoiding
plagiarism. This study will help educational institutions develop AI-supported anti-plagiarism solutions in areas
such as identification, instilling moral responsibility, and creating an environment of trust and support.