EMBRACING AI TOOLS IN EDUCATION: THE CASE OF CHATGPT

Abstract

The evolution of generative artificial intelligence tools has experienced a notable surge in recent years, creating new opportunities for higher education to innovate by enhancing teaching, learning, and research practices. This study aims to investigate the factors that affect students' intention to use ChatGPT in higher education. We assume that the use of ChatGPT will enhance student performance. Using an expanded version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage (UTAUT), the medical artificial intelligence readiness scale for medical students (MAIRS-MS) was used to derive the four additional variables. The research seeks to analyze how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, cognition, ability, vision, and ethics affect students' intention to use ChatGPT and its impact on their performance. A sample of 385 students enrolled in Qatar University was collected through an online questionnaire. To evaluate the generated nine hypotheses and provide answers to the study questions, the data were analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS-4 software. Subsequent examination of the data revealed the intention to use ChatGPT is significantly positively impacted by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, ability, and ethics. However, students' behavioral intention to use ChatGPT is not significantly impacted by facilitating conditions and cognition and is significantly negatively impacted by vision. Universities will gain from this study by providing them with a comprehensive view to understand students' behavior, enabling them to integrate this knowledge to incorporate ChatGPT into education.