Towards a Sustainable and Ethical Integration of AI Chatbots in Higher Education

This paper examines students’ perceptions of factors influencing normative support for the integration of AI Chatbots in universities, providing an empirical basis for developing institutional policies and implementation strategies in higher education. Framed within the sustainability perspective, the study examines how ethical, cognitive, and perceptual factors shape the long-term adoption of AI technologies in academic environments. Our study employs a structural model comprising 10 constructs, 46 items, and 9 hypotheses, tested on a sample of 408 economics students from Timisoara. The research identifies AI literacy as the most influential factor in the formal integration of these technologies in universities. The following factors have a direct impact: teacher perception, student perception, and cognitive risks (reliance on AI Chatbots and avoidance of intellectual effort). Use for personalized learning is a factor with a significant direct effect on positive perceptions and intentions to use AI Chatbots among students. Academic integrity risks, as well as limitations on accuracy and reliability, have no significant impact. AI Chatbots represent an essential opportunity to transform higher education. However, their positive impact is realized only through responsible formal integration, grounded in ethical policies, adequate digital education, and the adaptation of pedagogical practices. Universities must regard AI as a strategic ally for teachers and students, while keeping human interaction, critical thinking, and academic integrity at the centre of the educational process. The study argues that students’ perceptions are that universities must approach AI Integration as a strategic component of sustainable educational ecosystems, aligning innovation with long-term academic integrity and the objectives of sustainable development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).