Kuala Lampur, Sept. 15 -- This week, thousands of new students are stepping into Malaysian universities carrying the familiar essentials of campus life: luggage, laptops, chargers, notebooks and perhaps enough instant noodles to survive the first few weeks.

But this generation brings something else that previous university intakes did not have so readily at their fingertips. Before they attend their first lecture, open their first textbook or meet their first lecturer, many already have access to artificial intelligence capable of answering questions, explaining concepts, summarising readings and producing polished paragraphs within seconds.

For a generation that has grown up with smartphones, search engines and instant access to inform...