REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into higher education underscores the necessity for institutional regulations to oversee the conduct of both students and academic staff in key learning and research activities. Despite the increasing adoption of AI technologies, recent studies conducted after 2022 indicate that many users lack adequate training and a thorough understanding of both the benefits and the significant ethical, legal, and academic risks that AI may pose. Current European legal frameworks, particularly Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, offer only limited provisions addressing specific aspects of higher education. Consequently, teaching, learning, and research activities remain largely unregulated. This study employs a qualitative methodology that incorporates literature review, normative legal analysis, and comparative content analysis. It reviews empirical studies on stakeholder perceptions, analyzes EU legal provisions, and examines institutional policies from leading European universities to identify patterns, meanings, and regulatory inconsistencies. The findings emphasize the urgent need for binding institutional regulations that govern academic conduct regarding the use of AI. The proposed regulatory model includes mandatory AI training for both staff and students, limiting AI to a supportive role in academic work, requiring full disclosure of AI-assisted outputs, adapting evaluation methods when AI use is identified, and assigning user responsibility for any violations of third-party rights, including copyright and data protection. Implementing these regulations is essential for safeguarding academic integrity, individual rights, legal compliance, and ethical professional development within European higher education.