The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within educational settings presents considerable opportunities yet concurrently introduces challenges concerning academic integrity and cognitive engagement, particularly those stemming from its uncritical application. This article examines the ethical dimensions pertinent to student utilization of AI, while advocating for the cultivation of critical and responsible engagement in lieu of outright prohibition. It explores the role of emergent guidelines in the formulation of institutional policy and contends, based on educational and ethical theory, that education assumes paramount importance in fostering the ethical use of AI, most notably within unregulated environments. Furthermore, the paper presents specific pedagogical strategies designed to cultivate critical and responsible interaction with AI within the classroom.