Effect of Digital Literacy and Willingness to Adopt Artificial Intelligence Technologies Among University Students

Abstract

This study explored the role of digital literacy in determining the acceptance level of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology among students of Universities in Lahore, Pakistan. The quantitative and correlational nature of the research design was informed by a positivist research philosophy. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and completed by 492 students (undergraduate and graduate) of two public and two private universities. The instruments assessing digital literacy and AI willingness to adopt, demonstrated high internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha values of .890 and .922, respectively. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, and a regression analysis. Results of the main regression equation indicated a strong, positive relationship between digital literacy and the willingness to adopt AI technology (R = .784, R² = .614, beta = .784, p ≤ .001). This suggests digital literacy accounts for 61.4% of the willingness to adopt AI. Other positive relationships were noted between digital literacy and the dimensions of willingness to adopt AI (i.e., academic-work and teaching-practice). These findings illustrate the role of digital competencies in students’ engagement with AI technology. The study recommends that universities enhance digital and AI literacy, and promote and guide students on the use of AI, the internet and other information sources, and ethical practices and academic integrity.