Author(s): Mutum Minarani Devi, Partakson Romun Chiru, Chithung Mary Thomas, Naorem Birendra Singh, Laishram Tarunbala Devi, Tejnarayan Thakur
This study explores students’ perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education, focusing on its impact on academic performance, learning pathways, and future readiness. Data were gathered from 400 students in Nagaland and Manipur through restricted systematic sampling and structured questionnaires. The findings indicate that AI is perceived as highly beneficial in enhancing personalized learning, simplifying complex concepts, and supporting independent study, particularly through adaptive feedback and resource accessibility. Students also highlighted AI’s role in developing higher-order skills via simulations and virtual labs, though weaker perceptions were noted regarding career guidance and digital literacy. Concerns about overdependence were evident across all cohorts, with risks such as reduced creativity and weakened problem-solving emphasized. Regression results explained 63% of AI’s influence on academic performance, while ANOVA identified age as a key moderating factor, with younger learners expressing more favorable views. The study concludes that AI holds transformative potential in education but requires balanced integration to safeguard creativity, inclusivity, and critical reasoning, while future research should broaden its demographic scope for greater generalizability.