Artificial intelligence as a cultural adaptation scaffold: Experiences of Asian international students at Chinese universities

Abstract

Growing international student mobility, particularly intra-Asian flows to China, has intensified the need to support Asian international students’ cultural adaptation amid linguistic, academic, sociocultural, and psychological challenges. This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is used and perceived as a resource for such adaptation in Chinese higher education. Drawing on Berry’s acculturation framework, Ward and Kennedy’s dualprocess model, and Deardorff’s and Byram’s intercultural competence theories, the study employed a qualitative interpretivist design. Semi-structured interviews with 37 Asian international students from 11 countries enrolled at five universities in Yunnan Province, China, were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants perceived AI as multidimensional adaptation scaffolding supporting academic adjustment, language mediation, sociocultural navigation, emotional well-being, and intercultural learning. They also reported challenges including misinformation, algorithmic bias, over-reliance and uneven AI literacy. Institutional factors—particularly the absence of clear policies, training and instructor guidance—further shaped how useful and safe they found AI to be. The study positions AI as a mediating resource in participants’ reported acculturation experiences and proposes multidimensional adaptation scaffolding and the dependency paradox as sensitising concepts. It underscores the need for culturally responsive AI literacy initiatives and institutional support systems to maximise perceived benefits while mitigating reported risks in international higher education.