Attitudes and Perceptions Towards the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Survey Study on a Sample of Academic Staff in Algeria

Abstract

This study explored the attitudes and perceptions of Algerian Academic Staff toward using artificial intelligence in higher education. The study investigated the challenges and prospects of this advanced technology and measured the readiness of Algerian universities to adopt it. The study's significance lies in uncovering the potential of utilizing this technology in universities, revealing the obstacles that may hinder it, and then providing a vision for how to adopt it through the use of an integrated and multi-faceted approach to advance higher education in Algeria. To verify this, the researchers used a questionnaire that targeted a sample of professors at the University of Blida 2-Lounici Ali. The findings showed that the study participants were interested in implementing AI technologies in higher education and their potential to enhance the educational process, facilitate organization, and enable ongoing performance evaluation. However, professors expressed concerns about AI's potential impact on students' critical thinking, the overwhelming amount of information that could impede creativity, ethical and legal issues, and the risks to personal data security. Professors emphasized the need for Algerian universities to invest in the exploitation of AI technologies, in human capital development by providing training courses in AI technologies for successful implementation, ensuring the availability of adequate financial resources, and taking into consideration the establishment of regulatory and ethical laws to control the exploitation of this technology.