The use of AI tools among Chinese international students in Spain.

AI-based tools are increasingly being integrated into higher education due to their distinct advantages, and they are transforming students’ learning approaches, particularly for cross-cultural international students. Currently, discussions regarding both the benefits and negative impacts of AI tools are widespread. To reflect the authentic attitudes and perceptions of international students towards AI tools, this study adopts a quantitative approach to survey Chinese students studying in higher education institutions in Spain. The results of data analysis indicate that although AI tools are generally well-received, students express concerns about ethical issues and the potential impact on autonomous learning abilities. In practice, AI tools perform relatively poorly within classroom environments, with most students indicating that such tools are rarely or insufficiently applicable in dynamic learning contexts. Students commonly express expectations that institutions should provide guidance on the use of AI tools and encourage innovation, and they believe that the integration of AI tools should take disciplinary differences into account.