The acceptability of AI in higher education: A qualitative study about the notion of education and AI

The ethical aspect of artificial intelligence is becoming more pressing. Besides consulting experts, various efforts have been undertaken to consult stakeholders and to understand under which terms the stakeholders consider AI-based systems acceptable. However, reasons in favor of or against AI-based systems in education do not depend solely on questions of usability or functionality, nor on the consideration of moral values. While most studies suggest that privacy and transparency are the main concerns of stakeholders concerning learning platforms and systems, this study indicates that different notions of education might be the reason for considering AI-based systems acceptable in higher education. Semi-standardized interviews were conducted with professors of German universities via video calls. The data was evaluated via “thematic coding.” In this qualitative study, we found that the acceptability of AI-based systems in education crucially depends on the participants’ conception of education.