  With the release of Generative AI systems such as ChatGPT, an increasing
interest in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been observed across
domains, including higher education. While emerging statistics show the
popularity of using AI amongst undergraduate students, little is yet known
about students' perceptions regarding AI including self-reported benefits and
concerns from their actual usage, in particular in distance learning contexts.
Using a two-step, mixed-methods approach, we examined the perceptions of ten
online and distance learning students from diverse disciplines regarding the
design of a hypothetical AI Digital Assistant (AIDA). In the first step, we
captured students' perceptions via interviews, while the second step supported
the triangulation of data by enabling students to share, compare, and contrast
perceptions with those of peers. All participants agreed on the usefulness of
such an AI tool while studying and reported benefits from using it for
real-time assistance and query resolution, support for academic tasks,
personalisation and accessibility, together with emotional and social support.
Students' concerns related to the ethical and social implications of
implementing AIDA, data privacy and data use, operational challenges, academic
integrity and misuse, and the future of education. Implications for the design
of AI-tailored systems are also discussed.
