The rapid emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)has transformed academic practices, particularly in higher education, wheretools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini are increasingly used to supportlearning and decision-making. This study examines the influence of AI on theacademic practices of industrial engineering students in Peru, with emphasison its role in knowledge management and efficiency. A descriptive-analyticaldesign was employed, using a structured questionnaire with Likert-scaleitems applied to a sample of undergraduate students. The instrumentmeasured AI adoption, contributions to the knowledge management cycle(creation, storage, sharing, application), perceived impact on decision-makingquality and time management, as well as levels of digital literacy and ethicalawareness. The findings reveal that nearly 60% of students reported frequent use of AI intheir academic activities, particularly for generating ideas and applyingknowledge in problem-solving. Strong contributions were observed inknowledge creation and application, while knowledge storage and sharingreflected more mixed perceptions. Most students identified efficiency gainsand improved decision-making, supported by high levels of digital literacy andethical awareness. These results suggest that AI is becoming a valuablecomplement to academic practices, though challenges remain regardinguneven adoption and overreliance. The study concludes with actionablerecommendations for higher education institutions: to integrate formal AIliteracy modules and faculty mentoring programs that foster critical, ethical,and reflective use of AI tools across the knowledge management cycle,promoting sustainable and responsible innovation in higher education.