The Lahore Declaration '25

On this day, 15th of February, 2025, we, the organisers of ACARI2025 declare:

1.   The great number of attendees, the diversity of their disciplines, and the breadth and depth of their experiences with issues related to our topic reflects the need for such activities and scholarship.

2.      The ACARI consortium is a timely initiative which should be formalized and legalized by developing a constitution and establishing for it an appropriate legal umbrella.

3.      Our efforts and reputation in this area will benefit from force-multipliers such as collaborations with established academic integrity institutions such as the APFEI and ENAI.

4.      We should seize the opportunity to become leaders in providing training opportunities in areas such as training GenAI tools, and prompting AI engineering.

5.      We must encourage multi-Centre research studies to address today’s AI challenges and tomorrow’s AI opportunities.

6.      Continuous policy review and rapid updates including feedback from all stakeholders must be established to address the emerging issues related to use of AI in academic ecosystem.

7.      A well-informed, unified National Policy or code of conduct must be developed.

8.      We must develop a structured training program, with embedded updates and improvements, for trainers (e.g., a one-year program to train academic or research integrity officer from different universities).

9.      We must prioritize rigorous, interdisciplinary research to examine the evolving relationship between AI and academic integrity. This includes investigating AI’s role in academic misconduct, its impact on assessment authenticity, and its potential to enhance ethical research practices. Multi-institutional studies must be undertaken to generate evidence-based insights that inform policy, training, and institutional strategies.

10.   We must cultivate a comprehensive system by which university students develop positive, productive, and ethical relationships with AI and related technologies, which are certain to become important features in their professional lives.

Call to Action

1. Act Now to Safeguard Academic Integrity in the AI Era

   
   

   We call on universities, research institutions, policymakers, and industry leaders to take immediate and decisive action to uphold academic and research integrity. AI is transforming education and research, and we must ensure that its integration is guided by ethical principles, rigorous policies, and responsible use. The time for passive discussions is over—our collective responsibility is to shape the future of academia with integrity at its core.

   
   

2. Commit to Concrete Action and Accountability

   
   

   This declaration is not just a statement—it is a commitment to tangible change. We pledge to:

   • Establish and enforce robust national and institutional policies on AI ethics in academia.

   • Build a legally recognized and globally connected ACARI consortium to drive research and policy innovation.

   • Lead AI ethics education by equipping students, educators, and researchers with critical AI literacy skills.

   • Conduct and support cross-institutional research addressing the risks and opportunities of AI in academic settings.

   • Continuously review and refine our approaches, ensuring policies and practices evolve alongside technological advancements.

     
     

We call on every stakeholder to take decisive steps today. Academic amd research integrity is not negotiable—it is the foundation of credible, responsible, and future-ready education.