The role of AI in reshaping research and academia is profound. The ongoing integration of Artificial Intelligence to the modern education system promises advancement but also poses certain challenges. The paper investigates the ethical and regulatory aspects to give a comprehensive understanding of AI application in research and academics. The main objective of the study is to identify what ethical and regulatory concerns need to be considered in the usage of AI applications in academics and research and also address the potential issues and challenges in using AI in academics and research. A cross-sectional study is conducted among post-graduate students and research scholars enrolled in the law schools of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (India). A quantitative research methodology is adopted by taking responses through a questionnaire. Data analysis is done via IBM SPSS version 22. The study has shown a significant impact of three constructs on research quality. It revealed that the impact of ethical consideration to AI on research quality is positive and significant followed by legal regulation, which is also positive and significant. The impact of behavioral consideration to AI has also got significant. The findings highlight on importance of ethical norms and regulatory limits in research and academia by framing and implementing AI-related policies. The study reveals students, researchers and authors’ incompetency and unclarity concerning AI-related uses and safeguards. The study calls for the development of ethical guidelines and a regulatory framework to address these concerns and promote responsible AI usage in academic settings. The study emphasized strengthening institutional support for research and academics for its greater integration to AI.