The Post-ChatGPT Research Landscape of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education (2023–2026): A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The launch of ChatGPT at the end of 2022 significantly accelerated research on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in Web of Science during the period 2023–1 February 2026, using VOSviewer to identify dominant thematic structures, influential actors, and emerging institutional networks. The results indicate a field that remains predominantly technologically oriented, organised around three major clusters: large language models and machine learning, computational modelling and optimisation, and the educational dimension, centred on academic integrity and AI literacy. Although pedagogical interest is increasing, conceptual centrality remains concentrated around technological infrastructure. The institutional analysis highlights the role of elite universities in the United States, Asia, and Europe. The period 2023–2024 can be interpreted as a transition from technological validation and ethical concerns towards institutional and curricular integration. Overall, the study provides a structural perspective on the early post-ChatGPT phase and outlines future directions concerning sustainability and AI-assisted educational transformation.