Artificial intelligence in Vietnamese higher education: Impacts on the innovation of teaching methods and learners’ learning experiences

The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly Generative AI, presents unique challenges and opportunities for higher education in emerging economies. This study quantifies AI’s impact on lecturers’ pedagogical innovation and students’ learning experiences within Vietnam's digital transformation. Grounded in an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze data from 710 respondents (270 lecturers and 440 students) at leading universities. Empirical results indicate that digital competence is a critical prerequisite for AI adoption, which subsequently exerts a strong positive effect on teaching performance through the full mediating role of pedagogical innovation. For students, the capacity for content personalization emerges as the primary driver of enhanced learning experiences; however, perceived ethical risks significantly undermine trust in these technologies. Furthermore, multi-group analysis reveals notable differences in adoption levels between STEM and Social Sciences students. Based on these findings, the study offers key policy implications for data-driven university governance and underscores the urgent need to establish a comprehensive ethical and legal framework. This research contributes vital empirical evidence to the discourse on sustainable, human-centered AI integration in developing educational systems.