AI-Driven Chatbots and Virtual Assistants for University Students Support: Benefits and Potential Risks

Abstract

The use of AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants brought radical changes in higher education and evolved transformative approaches to learning by supporting students in diverse fields. Due to their dynamic use, AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants contribute to maximizing learning and paving the way for personalized learning experiences. Though their multifarious benefits, certain risks are getting comeuppance as students use them to plagiarize content and present it as their own production. The present study examines the benefits and potential risks of using AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants in learning at university. It also highlights the main AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants that are constantly used by university students enrolled in different specialties. Randomization is endorsed in the current study to select the participants, involving teachers and students from various universities in Algeria. The study is therefore grounded on mixed-methods approach. The findings revealed that AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants induce over-reliance on technology, lead to bias and promote plagiarism that breaches academic integrity. Along these lines, the study helps identifying the dual-edged traits of AIdriven chatbots and virtual assistants and addressing ways to use them carefully and strategically to elevate students’ capacities and upgrade learning.