AI in Higher Education: Assessing Acceptance, Learning Enhancement, and Ethical Considerations Among University Students

This scientific paper aims to investigate the multifaceted impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on students at universities, focusing on the three key areas: Acceptance of AI in Higher Education (HE), Learning Enhancement and Ethical Considerations. A survey with 100 valid answers from Graduates and Undergraduates was conducted, to gather insights into their perceptions and experiences with AI-powered tools. The investigation shows that these tools are widely accepted. There is a significant positive correlation between students’ comfort level with incorporating AI into their education and their familiarity with them. Regarding the improvement of learning, more than half of the participants think that AI technologies are useful for the understanding of course material, and that their learning efficiency has increased. Also, it could be statistically proven that there is a significant positive correlation between frequency of preparation and performance improvement for exams, essays, and projects. Concerning ethics, most of the students are aware of possible ethical dilemmas and agree that standards are necessary. The study also shows that 75% witnessed other students cheating with the help of AI-tools. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney tests were also used and gender was found to significantly affect the variables under study. This investigation serves as a foundation for informed discussions on harnessing the potential of AI to improve education while addressing the associated concerns.