The Role of Generative AI in Higher Education: A Decade of Current Status and Future Prospects

With the rapid development of Generative AI technology, particularly large language models like ChatGPT. Generative AI has brought profound transformations to teaching methods, learning experiences, and assessment models, but it also presents challenges related to academic integrity and educational equity. The purpose of this study is to analyze the current state of Generative AI applications in higher education over the past decade and its future development trends using a comprehensive bibliometric and scientometric approach. The study selects 620 papers from the Web of Science database, published between 2014 and 2024, related to Generative AI and higher education, and employs VOSviewer and CiteSpace software for data analysis and visualization. The results show a significant increase in research on the application of Generative AI in higher education since 2018, with a particular focus on personalized learning, teaching assessment, and interdisciplinary education, which have garnered widespread attention. Through network analyses of collaboration among authors, institutions. This study not only provides researchers with insights into the current status and development trends of Generative AI in higher education but also lays the foundation for deeper discussions on issues such as educational equity and academic integrity.