Harnessing the Use of Artificial Intelligence among Higher Education Institutions in Tanzania: Challenges and Prospects

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