Abstract

University education represents the highest level of academic accomplishment. It is an important level of education in South Africa and ensures the continuous production of human capital for national development. In developed countries of the world, the adoption of cutting-edge innovations such as machine learning, AI-powered adaptive learning platforms, interactive learning videos and audio books and automated assessment has been notable. South African universities even though seem to have incorporated the use of information and communication technology (ICT) into learning; they still lag behind in the full integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The question of how such integration can be achieved is left hanging as a lot of challenges are bound. This chapter examined the practical applications of ML in higher education, its barriers and potential benefits at South African universities and suggested how it might affect the nation's educational system.