Application Status and Improvement Strategies of AI in Higher Education: An Empirical Analysis Based on an AI Application Innovation Competition

Amid the Global Wave of Educational Digitalization, the deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and education is not only an inevitable outcome of technological advancement but also a critical pathway to addressing the pain points of traditional education and achieving equitable, high-quality educational development. Through empirical case analysis, this study investigates the current landscape and persistent challenges of AI adoption in higher education. It advocates for a comprehensive strategic framework encompassing institutionally aligned governance to guide AI deployment, competency-centered capacity-building to bridge technical and ethical literacy gaps, and ecosystem-driven collaboration to amplify innovation through cross-sector synergies. These interconnected recommendations collectively address the tripartite challenges of fragmented implementation, limited pedagogical transformation, and underdeveloped ethical safeguards, offering universities a holistic pathway to harness AI as a transformative force rather than a superficial technological adjunct.