The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Research: A Cross-Sectional Study of Adoption Trends and Productivity Impact

Abstract

With the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic life, it is increasingly necessary to understand the impact of this technology on research activities, yet the quantitative relationships between the use of these tools and research productivity in university settings have not been sufficiently quantified. This study aimed to examine the frequency of AI tool use and the relationship between this use and attitudes towards AI and research productivity among university students and faculty. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 220 university respondents (undergraduate students, post-graduate students, and Faculty/researchers) across five disciplines. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, chi-square test and multiple linear regression.  Nearly half (49%) of those who responded reported using it regularly ('often'/'always'), and the most popular category of tools used was general-purpose AI assistants (44.1%). The frequency of the use of AI was positively correlated with productivity (r = .48, p < .001) and attitude (r = .37, p < .001), but there were no significant differences between gender (p = .77) or discipline (p = .62). The results indicated that together, usage frequency and attitude accounted for 30% of the variance in productivity. The two factors, together, explained 30% of the productivity (regression) variance. AI adoption is associated with higher research productivity for the institution across different groups of researchers by various disciplines and demographic groups, supporting the case for investing in structured training for AI literacy by institutions.