Responsible Use f Chatgpt in Sustainable Higher Education: A Narrative Review Aligned with SDG 4

Abstract

The rapid growth and adoption of generative AI tools, in particular ChatGPT, has brought both opportunities to change and significant challenges into higher education. Institutions are increasingly implementing ChatGPT for various means such as personalized learning, instructional or academic writing assistance, and research support; and in doing so, concerns regarding academic honesty and integrity, ethics, fairness, as well as the gap between digitally-enabled and -disenabled learners have begun to develop. To achieve the responsible use of any such technologies within the scope of SDG4, which calls for inclusive and equitable quality education, will require a commitment to sustainability for higher education institutions into the future as well.This article is a narrative review that synthesizes current literature on ChatGPT's application, benefits, and risks within higher education with a specific focus on how they can assist with sustainable and inclusive educational practices. Existing literature was examined via various databases (Google Scholar; Scopus; Web of Science; Policy documents) using key-words including but not limited to “ChatGPT in Higher Education”; “Generative Artificial Intelligence”; “Responsible AI use in Education"; and "AI and SDG 4.0.” Peer-reviewed articles and papers, as well as review papers, conceptual analyses, and policy reports published between 2022 – 2025 were researched, and a randomized thematic analysis was utilized to group key findings.

The findings indicate that ChatGPT has been widely used for support with personalized / adaptive learning; generating structured feedback for students; improving their ability to write academically; assisting in the development of educational curriculum; and guiding researchers through their research process