Toward Responsible Integration: A Review of Applications, Capabilities, and Perceptions of Generative AI in Higher Education

Generative AI (GenAI) has attracted a surge of attention from higher education constituents after OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022. While numerous articles discuss applications and perceptions of GenAI in higher education, no comprehensive review has considered commonalities and differences among various educational stakeholder groups and contexts. In this review, we synthesize the applications, capabilities, and perceptions of GenAI in higher education to provide stakeholders (i.e., students, instructors, researchers, staff, and administrators) with insights into this topic to facilitate GenAI integration in higher education. We reviewed 50 relevant empirical articles published from January 2023 to April 2025 on GenAI in higher education. Our findings demonstrate how GenAI has already been applied and present its potential for implementation across teaching and learning, research, and student affairs in higher education. Among various stakeholders in higher education, students hold a more open and positive attitude toward this rising technology, while instructors and researchers hold mixed attitudes toward GenAI usage, and administrators tend to hold an open but cautious attitude toward GenAI implementation. Addressing common stakeholder concerns and needs, we outline institutional strategies for responsible GenAI integration, including launching GenAI learning hubs, formalizing license agreements, redefining academic originality, and implementing pilot programs.