Abstract

The increasing complexity of administrative work in higher education has increased the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a support tool for educational leadership. This qualitative case study explores how AI is integrated into educational administration in a Malaysian higher education institution, focusing on leadership practices, organisational processes, and ethical considerations. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal four interrelated themes: administrative workload as the primary driver for AI adoption, efficiency in data management, ethical and responsible use of AI, and leadership and organisational support in sustaining AI practices. Interpreted through an organisational leadership framework and informed by sociotechnical systems theory, the study shows that AI integration is not driven by individual leaders or technological capability alone. Instead, it emerges through organisational collaboration, distributed leadership, and shared responsibility within everyday administrative work. The findings highlight that AI functions as a human-centred support mechanism that enhances efficiency while maintaining human judgement, accountability, and ethical data governance. This study offers practical insights for educational leaders, policymakers, and institutions seeking to adopt AI responsibly, stressing the importance of leadership capacity, organised culture, organisational culture, and ethical governance in sustaining meaningful AI use in higher education administration.