Academic leadership attitudes toward employing artificial intelligence applications in developing administrative processes

The growing interest in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications to enhance administrative tasks in educational settings has raised important questions about academic leaders’ views on this emerging technology. This study aims to examine academic leadership’s attitudes toward the use of AI in educational administrative processes within the Saudi context, in addition to exploring the challenges they face in implementing it. A quantitative research approach was used to collect data through a questionnaire, using a random sample (n = 105) of academic leaders from various educational institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results indicated that trust in AI and its perceived benefits positively contributed to leadership readiness to adopt AI, whereas ethical considerations were the most important variable in academic leadership readiness to adopt AI. In addition, some challenges and barriers to academic leadership readiness to adopt AI were revealed, such as a lack of awareness and knowledge, lack of training, financial constraints, and resistance to change. Therefore, an approach that enhances the ethical considerations of AI and reduces the challenges and barriers facing AI implementation in education should be adopted. Given the findings of this study, several potential societal and managerial implications may emerge, such as ethical dilemmas in education and data-driven decision-making.