University students describe how they adopt AI for writing and research in a general education course

University students have begun to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in many different ways in their undergraduate education, some beneficial to their learning, and some simply expedient to completing assignments with as little work as possible. This exploratory qualitative study examines how undergraduate students used AI in a large General Education course on sustainability and technology at a research university in the United States in 2023. Thirty-nine students documented their use of AI in their final course project, which involved analyzing conceptual networks connecting core sustainability concepts. Through iterative qualitative coding, we identified key patterns in students' AI use, including higher-order writing tasks (understanding complex topics, finding evidence), lower-order writing tasks (revising, editing, proofreading), and other learning activities (efficiency enhancement, independent research). Students primarily used AI to improve communication of their original ideas, though some leveraged it for more complex tasks like finding evidence and developing arguments. Many students expressed skepticism about AI-generated content and emphasized maintaining their intellectual independence. While some viewed AI as vital for improving their work, others explicitly distinguished between AI-assisted editing and their original thinking. This analysis provides insight into how students navigate AI use when it is explicitly permitted in coursework, with implications for effectively integrating AI into higher education to support student learning.