Topic Discovery and Classification for Responsible Generative AI Adaptation in Higher Education

Abstract

As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) becomes increasingly capable of delivering personalized learning experiences and real-time feedback, a growing number of students are incorporating these tools into their academic workflows. They use GenAI to clarify concepts, solve complex problems, and, in some cases, complete assignments by copying and pasting model-generated contents. While GenAI has the potential to enhance learning experience, it also raises concerns around misinformation, hallucinated outputs, and its potential to undermine critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In response, many universities, colleges, departments, and instructors have begun to develop and adopt policies to guide responsible integration of GenAI into learning environments. However, these policies vary widely across institutions and contexts, and their evolving nature often leaves students uncertain about expectations and best practices. To address this challenge, the authors designed and implemented an automated system for discovering and categorizing AI-related policies found in course syllabi and institutional policy websites. The system combines unsupervised topic modeling techniques to identify key policy themes with large language models (LLMs) to classify the level of GenAI allowance and other requirements in policy texts. The developed application achieved a coherence score of 0.73 for topic discovery. In addition, GPT-4.0-based classification of policy categories achieved precision between 0.92 and 0.97, and recall between 0.85 and 0.97 across eight identified topics. By providing structured and interpretable policy information, this tool promotes the safe, equitable, and pedagogically aligned use of GenAI technologies in education. Furthermore, the system can be integrated into educational technology platforms to help students understand and comply with relevant guidelines.