<![CDATA[Purpose – The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education offers substantial benefits for learning efficiency and personalization, yet it also raises concerns regarding digital ethics, learner autonomy, and digital well-being. From a life-course education perspective, early adulthood represents a critical transitional stage in which patterns of AI interaction may shape long-term learning habits and readiness for lifelong learning. However, empirical evidence examining how multidimensional AI interactions influence academic outcomes through psychological mechanisms remains limited, particularly in developing country contexts. This study investigates the effects of cognitive, affective, and social-ethical interactions with AI on academic performance among Indonesian engineering students, with digital well-being positioned as a mediating mechanism.Design/methods/approach – A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 103 engineering students from multiple universities, and the data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).Findings – The findings indicate that cognitive interaction with AI significantly enhances academic performance, while affective interaction primarily contributes to digital well-being. Notably, higher levels of digital well-being are associated with reduced academic performance, suggesting a paradox in which increased comfort and convenience from AI may weaken sustained cognitive engagement. Digital well-being significantly mediates the relationship between affective interaction and academic performance, revealing potential risks of emotional overreliance on AI.Research implications/limitations – These results highlight the importance of balanced and self-regulated AI use in higher education and underscore the need to design AI-supported learning environments that foster cognitive engagement while sustaining digital well-being. From a life-course perspective, the findings suggest that AI interaction patterns formed during early adulthood may have implications for lifelong learning autonomy and educational sustainability.Originality/value – This study provides empirical evidence on multidimensional AI interaction in higher education from a life-course perspective and emphasizes the importance of ethical and responsible AI integration to safeguard academic performance and student well-being.]]>
