This study investigates how universities are developing normative frameworks to regulate the use of generative AI tools in higher education, with a particular focus on balancing empowerment and discipline. Drawing on theoretical lenses such as Foucault’s discipline theory and contemporary AI ethics, the paper analyzes policy documents from institutions including Harvard, Oxford, and several top Chinese universities. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, the study reveals five dominant governance themes—ranging from academic integrity enforcement to pedagogical empowerment. The findings highlight a global shift from restrictive to balanced, ethics-informed AI governance, with significant disciplinary variations. The paper concludes by proposing a “principled permissiveness” model that combines transparency, accountability, and pedagogical innovation in future AI governance.
- Open Access
- Article
Balancing Empowerment and Discipline: A Study of the Normative Framework for the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools by University Faculty and Students
- Chun Fu 1,†,
- Linjie Xu 2,*,
- Ruiheng Fang 3,†,
- Feng Wang 4,
- Yanran Wang 1,
- Shiwei Hu 5
Author Information
Received: 16 Sep 2025 | Revised: 11 Nov 2025 | Accepted: 09 Dec 2025 | Published: 31 Dec 2025
Abstract
Keywords
AI governance | higher education | academic integrity | empowerment | discipline | LDA topic modeling | educational policy
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