Digital Turbulence in Higher education: AI as a Challenge to Academic identity

Introduction. The article is devoted to the analysis of the transformation of higher education in the context of the active introduction of generative artificial intelligence (AI). The aim of the study is to identify cognitive, behavioral and normative changes in students' educational practices caused by the digitalization of the academic environment. Methodology and sources . The study is based on data from a representative questionnaire survey of students from several Russian universities of various profiles. The methods of stratified sample analysis, correlation and factor analysis are applied. Statistical reliability of the results is ensured by compliance with normal distributions, tolerance to outliers, and the use of the Cramer coefficient. Results and discussion . The dominance of generative AI tools (in particular, ChatGPT) in the educational environment has been established. Their high subjective effectiveness is recorded, including in the context of academic performance and the formation of professional competencies. A normative gap has been found between the widespread practice of using AI and ethical assessments of its acceptability in teaching. The effects of technological asymmetry and reductionism are discussed. Conclusion. The data obtained confirm the formation of a new educational paradigm characterized by a shift from traditional teaching to technologically mediated learning. The article focuses on the need for normative and didactic adaptation of universities to the digital environment.