Abstract:
This study investigates the use of AI among higher education institutions (HEIs) in
Tanzania by examining the challenges and prospects of using such technology among
academics. The study was premised on the positivism paradigm and adopted a
quantitative research approach. The online survey was used to collect data from 207
members of academic staff at Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU). The survey
received a response rate from 63 (31%) of academics. The study used convenience
sampling because the survey was shared through their emails to gather data for the
study. The study findings established that academics have awareness of the use of AI
in academia. However, its application is still slow because of challenges associated
with its use, such as cheating and plagiarism, the absence of required infrastructure,
the problem of internet connectivity, a lack of privacy, and a dearth of well-defined
laws governing its utilisation. Some of the common AI tools preferred to be used by
academics were identified, including Grammaly, Bing AI, ChatGPT, Quillbolt, and Bard
AI. The availability of various applications to detect AI-generated contents, such as
image analysis tools, text analysis tools, meta-analysis, content moderation platforms,
pattern recognition algorithms, text analysis, and others, guarantees a better future of
AI usage among HEIs in Tanzania. Harnessing the use of AI among HEIs in Tanzania
will improve independent and collaborative learning, facilitate online tutorials, be used
as language assistance, help in research, detect plagiarism, and provide access to
information and knowledge among people with disabilities. The study recommends
policies and guidelines to be formulated to harness the use of AI among academics in
Tanzanian HEIs. The study also recommends HEIs offer training on the proper use of AI
in academic settings and formulate policies and guidelines to guide the usage of such
technology among HEIs in Tanzania
