Abstract
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into university settings has accelerated in recent years, particularly following the proliferation of generative AI (GAI). This development has led to a heightened discourse surrounding the implications of AI on journalism education. In this context, it is pertinent to examine how students incorporate these tools into their academic practices and how they perceive their integration into university education. The objective of this study was to examine the utilization and perception of AI among undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in journalism programs at the Complutense University of Madrid. Additionally, the study sought to identify training needs and ethical challenges associated with its incorporation into the curriculum. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining an online questionnaire completed by 332 students with a focus group. The findings indicated a pervasive adoption of GAI, with ChatGPT emerging as the predominant academic support tool. However, the specific training offered by the faculty received a moderately low rating, as did the perceived expertise of the teaching staff. The highest scores were concentrated in the ethical dimension, particularly regarding issues related to bias, disinformation, privacy, and the need for human supervision. The findings indicated a discrepancy between the routine utilization of AI and its systematic incorporation into the curriculum, emphasizing the necessity for a progressive, cross-curricular, and critical approach to its integration.