Students’ Awareness, Literacy, and Perceived Readiness for Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Background: The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in higher education has prompted growing interest in students’ digital and AI literacy, ethical awareness, and perceptions of institutional readiness. Recent reviews of the evidence indicate that while student use of AI tools is increasing, levels of understanding, confidence, and access to guidance remain uneven across higher education contexts (Dos, 2025; Zhai et al., 2024). Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted among higher education students (N = 85) using an anonymous online questionnaire. The instrument assessed students’ self-reported AI literacy and self-efficacy, frequency of AI tool use, and perceived readiness of students and institutions to use AI in higher education. Descriptive statistics and internal consistency analyses were performed. Results: Students reported moderate overall AI literacy and self-efficacy (M = 3.55 on a 5-point scale), with strong internal consistency across items (Cronbach’s α = .84; McDonald’s ω = .88). Confidence in judging appropriate versus inappropriate AI use was higher than confidence in accessing support or improving AI outputs through prompting. AI tool use was widespread but heterogeneous, with 55.3% of respondents reporting daily or weekly use. A substantial proportion of students selected “Cannot decide / No experience yet” (30.6% for the readiness comparison item) when evaluating institutional readiness, indicating notable uncertainty regarding institutional AI preparedness. Conclusions: The findings suggest that student engagement with AI in higher education is characterised by moderate confidence, uneven practical support, and limited clarity regarding institutional readiness, consistent with prior research (Dodds et al., 2024; Dos, 2025; Zhai et al., 2024). The results highlight the importance of transparent communication, accessible guidance, and inclusive AI literacy development to support responsible AI use from the student perspective.