Artificial Intelligence Governance in Higher Education: The Role of Knowledge-Based Strategies in Fostering Legal Awareness and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Literacy

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now part of the daily routine in many universities. It shows up in learning platforms, digital assessments, and even student services. But despite its growing presence, institutions still face the challenge of making sure it is used in ways that respect legal and ethi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ionica Oncioiu, Anca Roxana Bularca
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Societies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/6/144
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849431586319106048
author Ionica Oncioiu
Anca Roxana Bularca
author_facet Ionica Oncioiu
Anca Roxana Bularca
author_sort Ionica Oncioiu
collection DOAJ
description Artificial intelligence (AI) is now part of the daily routine in many universities. It shows up in learning platforms, digital assessments, and even student services. But despite its growing presence, institutions still face the challenge of making sure it is used in ways that respect legal and ethical boundaries. This research explores how university settings that prioritise knowledge—real, shared, and thoughtfully managed—can help students become more aware of these dimensions. A total of 270 students took part in the study. We used a structural equation model to look at the links between knowledge-based practices, institutional governance, and students’ understanding of AI’s legal and ethical sides. The results show that when knowledge is genuinely valued—not just stored or repeated—governance practices around AI tend to develop more clearly. And this, in turn, makes a difference in how students relate to AI systems. Rather than teaching ethics directly, governance shapes the environment where such thinking becomes part of the everyday. When students see that rules are not arbitrary and that transparency matters, they become more cautious, but also more confident in navigating technology that does not always make its logic visible.
format Article
id doaj-art-eba552be6e304460984adbcfe68484fa
institution Kabale University
issn 2075-4698
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Societies
spelling doaj-art-eba552be6e304460984adbcfe68484fa2025-08-20T03:27:36ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982025-05-0115614410.3390/soc15060144Artificial Intelligence Governance in Higher Education: The Role of Knowledge-Based Strategies in Fostering Legal Awareness and Ethical Artificial Intelligence LiteracyIonica Oncioiu0Anca Roxana Bularca1Department of Informatics, Faculty of Informatics, Titu Maiorescu University, 189 Calea Vacaresti St., 040051 Bucharest, RomaniaFaculty of Law, Transilvania University of Brașov, 500036 Brasov, RomaniaArtificial intelligence (AI) is now part of the daily routine in many universities. It shows up in learning platforms, digital assessments, and even student services. But despite its growing presence, institutions still face the challenge of making sure it is used in ways that respect legal and ethical boundaries. This research explores how university settings that prioritise knowledge—real, shared, and thoughtfully managed—can help students become more aware of these dimensions. A total of 270 students took part in the study. We used a structural equation model to look at the links between knowledge-based practices, institutional governance, and students’ understanding of AI’s legal and ethical sides. The results show that when knowledge is genuinely valued—not just stored or repeated—governance practices around AI tend to develop more clearly. And this, in turn, makes a difference in how students relate to AI systems. Rather than teaching ethics directly, governance shapes the environment where such thinking becomes part of the everyday. When students see that rules are not arbitrary and that transparency matters, they become more cautious, but also more confident in navigating technology that does not always make its logic visible.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/6/144artificial intelligence in higher educationparticipatory AI governancedigital literacyethical AI implementationknowledge-sharing practicesinstitutional AI policy development
spellingShingle Ionica Oncioiu
Anca Roxana Bularca
Artificial Intelligence Governance in Higher Education: The Role of Knowledge-Based Strategies in Fostering Legal Awareness and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Literacy
Societies
artificial intelligence in higher education
participatory AI governance
digital literacy
ethical AI implementation
knowledge-sharing practices
institutional AI policy development
title Artificial Intelligence Governance in Higher Education: The Role of Knowledge-Based Strategies in Fostering Legal Awareness and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Literacy
title_full Artificial Intelligence Governance in Higher Education: The Role of Knowledge-Based Strategies in Fostering Legal Awareness and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Literacy
title_fullStr Artificial Intelligence Governance in Higher Education: The Role of Knowledge-Based Strategies in Fostering Legal Awareness and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Literacy
title_full_unstemmed Artificial Intelligence Governance in Higher Education: The Role of Knowledge-Based Strategies in Fostering Legal Awareness and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Literacy
title_short Artificial Intelligence Governance in Higher Education: The Role of Knowledge-Based Strategies in Fostering Legal Awareness and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Literacy
title_sort artificial intelligence governance in higher education the role of knowledge based strategies in fostering legal awareness and ethical artificial intelligence literacy
topic artificial intelligence in higher education
participatory AI governance
digital literacy
ethical AI implementation
knowledge-sharing practices
institutional AI policy development
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/6/144
work_keys_str_mv AT ionicaoncioiu artificialintelligencegovernanceinhighereducationtheroleofknowledgebasedstrategiesinfosteringlegalawarenessandethicalartificialintelligenceliteracy
AT ancaroxanabularca artificialintelligencegovernanceinhighereducationtheroleofknowledgebasedstrategiesinfosteringlegalawarenessandethicalartificialintelligenceliteracy