Regulatory framework for the use of artificial intelligence in european higher education

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) intohigher education underscores the necessity forinstitutional regulations to oversee the conduct ofboth students and academic staff in key learningand research activities. Despite the increasingadoption of AI technologies, recent studies conductedafter 2022 indicate that many users lack adequatetraining and a thorough understanding of boththe benefits and the significant ethical, legal,and academic risks that AI may pose. CurrentEuropean legal frameworks, particularly Regulation(EU) 2024/1689, offer only limited provisionsaddressing specific aspects of higher education.Consequently, teaching, learning, and researchactivities remain largely unregulated. This studyemploys a qualitative methodology that incorporatesliterature review, normative legal analysis, andcomparative content analysis. It reviews empiricalstudies on stakeholder perceptions, analyzes EUlegal provisions, and examines institutional policiesfrom leading European universities to identifypatterns, meanings, and regulatory inconsistencies.The findings emphasize the urgent need for bindinginstitutional regulations that govern academicconduct regarding the use of AI. The proposedregulatory model includes mandatory AI training forboth staff and students, limiting AI to a supportiverole in academic work, requiring full disclosure of AIassistedoutputs, adapting evaluation methods whenAI use is identified, and assigning user responsibilityfor any violations of third-party rights, includingcopyright and data protection. Implementing theseregulations is essential for safeguarding academicintegrity, individual rights, legal compliance, andethical professional development within Europeanhigher education.