The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot technologies in higher education has accelerated in recent years, prompting significant pedagogical and institutional shifts. Using a mixed-methods approach, including a survey containing both closed and open-ended questions, we explore university teachers’ perceptions of chatbots as educational tools. The study focuses on teachers’ usage patterns, attitudes, concerns and perceptions of the ethical issues related to the use of AI-based tools. The findings indicate that teachers are most familiar with ChatGPT and AI language tools, such as language translation and speech-to-text transcription, as well as online support tools to improve writing, mainly because they use these tools in their professional work. Teachers who specialised in pedagogy believed to a greater extent than academics in other social science disciplines that pupils, students and teachers should participate in training on using AI. The study also explored ethical issues related to teachers’ use of chatbots. Almost half of the respondents expressed security and privacy concerns when using a chatbot; however, academics with a doctorate were less likely to have privacy concerns than those with a master's degree. Over seventy percent of teachers believe that chatbots can be used to manipulate information or mislead students. They also believe that chatbots could increase inequalities in education. Recommendations are offered for policy makers, developers, and institutions aiming to integrate chatbots in ways that uphold academic standards and enrich the teaching-learning experience.