Bridging the AI chasm: A strategic framework for generative AI in higher education

This article examines the reluctance of academic institutions in developing countries to embrace generative artificial intelligence (AI) through a critical lens. Technology adoption involves complex negotiations between acceptance and resistance, shaped by infrastructural constraints, digital literacy gaps, and post-colonial considerations that complicate straightforward implementation. Through a systematic literature review and conceptual analysis, we argue that strategic adoption of generative AI represents more than technological upgrading, it offers transformative potential to address entrenched educational inequalities and prepare graduates for global engagement. Resistance emerges not primarily from technophobia but from legitimate ethical concerns, digital divides, and cultural relevance issues. The study proposes a context-sensitive integration framework emphasizing human-centred design, localized competency building, and ethical governance. We contend that higher education policymakers and practitioners in developing countries should lead in establishing fair, culturally appropriate AI ecosystems aligned with local developmental priorities while pursuing global academic excellence.