AI adoption in higher education: Exploring attitudes and perceived benefits between users and non-users

The perceptions about artificial intelligence (AI) benefits and the level of university management support among academicians employed by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Serbia have been evaluated via a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. In total, 312 responses have been collected, and the analysis was conducted between respondents who use ChatGPT in teaching and research activities and those who do not. It is evident that the views between the two groups of respondents are different regarding the relevance of AI tools, especially in research endeavours. Academicians using ChatGPT confirm the relevance of AI in improving efficiency and believe that new educational concepts are comparatively quickly adopted if ChatGPT or similar AI tools are used. The opposite view is voiced by non-users. Both groups expressed mainly negative views regarding the lack of adequate guidelines and instructions regarding the use of AI in research and teaching, and the support provided by academic institutions. There is also an apparent lack of initiatives to organize conferences, workshops and other collaborative schemes with other institutions to disseminate and foster AI knowledge. The ramifications of our research are relevant not only for HEIs, but also for policymakers.