The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming multiple sectors, including healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and education. In higher education, AI offers opportunities to enhance learning outcomes, improve administrative efficiency, and enable personalized learning through applications such as tutoring systems, virtual assistants, predictive analytics, automated grading, and smart content creation. While globally AI adoption in education is gaining momentum, in India its implementation remains at an early stage, with limited and uneven uptake among institutions. Faculty members play a critical role in shaping the success of AI integration, as their acceptance and effective utilization of these tools directly influence teaching innovation and student learning. This study investigates key factors influencing AI adoption among faculty at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, focusing on Attitudes, Perceived Risks, Awareness, and Effort Expectancy. By examining faculty readiness, concerns, and expectations, the study provides valuable insights into the enablers and barriers of AI adoption in higher education. The findings are expected to contribute to a faculty-centered understanding of digital transformation in academia and guide strategies for fostering more effective integration of AI technologies in teaching and learning.