As technology continues to evolve, it is crucial for higher education institutions to incorporate the latest innovations into their Virtual Learning Environments to ensure continued effectiveness and relevance. One such innovation is the adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) chatbots. This pilot study aims to investigate university students’ expectations regarding the use of GAI chatbots in educational contexts. Specifically, it explores the nature of these expectations and assesses whether they vary across different student groups. Using a non-probabilistic, cross-sectional quantitative approach with both descriptive and correlational-causal objectives, the research involved surveying N = 152 students from two universities in Spain and India. Data was gathered through a previously validated custom questionnaire. The results demonstrate diverse levels of agreement among students, with an overall positive outlook on GAI chatbots. Notably, significant differences were observed in five out of six items when comparing expectations between the two student populations, with Indian students showing higher levels of agreement across all items than their Spanish counterparts.