Purpose: The current research study aims to examine the application feasibility and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) among higher educational institutions (HEIs) in talent acquisitions (TA). Design/methodology/approach: A systematic sampling method was adopted to collect the responses from the 385 staff working across the various levels of management in HEIs in metropolitan cities in India. JAMOVI & SmartPLS 4 were applied to validate the hypothesis by performing the simple percentage analysis and structural equation modelling. The demographic and construct variables considered were adoption, actual usage, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and talent management. Findings: The key indicators of perceived usefulness are productivity, perceived ease of use, adaptability, candidate experience with the adoption of AI, frequency in decision-making in its actual usage and career path of development in the HEIs. These are the most influential items impacting the application of AI in TA. Originality/value: AI has the potential to revolutionize TA in HEIs in the form of enhanced efficiency, improved candidate experience, more objective hiring decisions, talent analytics and risk automation. However, they facilitate resume screening, candidate sourcing, applicant tracking, interviewing and predictive analytics for attrition.