The article explores the ethical issues and the problem of AI plagiarism in the academic environment, focusing on students' understanding of author's ethics and the challenges posed by generative AI. The study aims to identify aspects that influence students' understanding of these issues, develop a questionnaire to assess their understanding, and conduct an online survey of university students. The research highlights five key aspects: students' general understanding of author's ethics and plagiarism, their experience with AI tools, their perception of AI plagiarism, teachers' actions to prevent AI plagiarism, and the policies of educational institutions regarding author's ethics and AI plagiarism. The survey, involving 1,599 students from 29 Russian universities, reveals that plagiarism is widely accepted by students as a norm in academic behavior, despite relatively high awareness of AI technologies. However, the rare use of AI tools by teachers in the educational process limits the spread of AI plagiarism. Students lack a clear understanding of what constitutes AI plagiarism and how to legally use AI-generated materials. The study emphasizes the importance of teachers explaining the rules for using AI tools and the need for regulatory frameworks in universities to address these issues.The article explores the ethical issues and the problem of AI plagiarism in the academic environment, focusing on students' understanding of author's ethics and the challenges posed by generative AI. The study aims to identify aspects that influence students' understanding of these issues, develop a questionnaire to assess their understanding, and conduct an online survey of university students. The research highlights five key aspects: students' general understanding of author's ethics and plagiarism, their experience with AI tools, their perception of AI plagiarism, teachers' actions to prevent AI plagiarism, and the policies of educational institutions regarding author's ethics and AI plagiarism. The survey, involving 1,599 students from 29 Russian universities, reveals that plagiarism is widely accepted by students as a norm in academic behavior, despite relatively high awareness of AI technologies. However, the rare use of AI tools by teachers in the educational process limits the spread of AI plagiarism. Students lack a clear understanding of what constitutes AI plagiarism and how to legally use AI-generated materials. The study emphasizes the importance of teachers explaining the rules for using AI tools and the need for regulatory frameworks in universities to address these issues.