Cognitive privacy and the use of artificial intelligence in digital platforms for higher education

Introduction: The incorporation of artificial intelligence in higher education has transformed university digital platforms, integrating predictive analytics systems, automated assessment, and personalization of learning. However, this technological advancement poses emerging challenges related to cognitive privacy, understood as the protection of data inferred from users' digital behavior and mental processes.Methodology: A comparative qualitative study was developed with a non-experimental and cross-sectional design, based on the multiple case strategy. The collection of information included documentary analysis of institutional policies and structured observation of digital functionalities. The analysis was organized into three axes: pedagogical use of AI, cognitive privacy, and algorithmic governance.Results: The three universities incorporate artificial intelligence tools aimed at academic optimization; however, none explicitly conceptualizes cognitive privacy in their regulatory frameworks. General data protection policies were identified, but with little differentiation between personal data and data inferred through automated processes. Algorithmic transparency is limited and there is no evidence of clear audit mechanisms or right to explanation.Conclusions: The digital transformation of universities in Latin America is advancing with an emphasis on pedagogical efficiency, but it still has gaps in the protection of the cognitive sphere and in the governance of automated systems. It is necessary to strengthen ethical and regulatory frameworks that articulate technological innovation with intellectual autonomy and institutional transparency.