Use of Artificial Intelligence in Academic Libraries: Opportunities and Challenges – A Review of Literature (2020–2026)

Between 2020 and 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) advanced at a breakneck pace that profoundly changed higher education, including academic libraries. The dual nature of AI integration in academic library settings is examined in this research, which offers a thorough analysis of current material produced between 2020 and 2026. On the one hand, AI offers previously unheard-of possibilities, such as improved research analytics, automated cataloging and metadata creation, 24/7 virtual reference services through sophisticated chatbots, and semantic information retrieval. However, the literature draws attention to important obstacles such high infrastructure costs, data privacy concerns, the talent shortage in the library personnel, and moral conundrums with AI hallucinations and copyright. This paper presents a roadmap for balanced AI deployment and describes how academic libraries are evolving from traditional digital repositories into intelligent information hubs by combining insights from the last six years.