Motivations and Gratifications in Generative AI Adoption: A Survey-Based Uses and Gratifications Study of Media and Communication Students at the University of Gujrat, Pakistan

Abstract

In Pakistan, AI tools, including ChatGPT which are used as generative AI tools, have changed academic practice in higher education, but the motivations of students are under-researched. This quantitative survey uses the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) to investigate generative AI usage by media and communication students in the University of Gujrat (UOG) in meeting academic needs, such as cognitive (content creation, research), tension-release (meeting deadlines), and personal integrative (learn media production) gratifications. A survey was conducted on 250 students of UOG who have been on the media-related programs using a structured questionnaire. The SPSS descriptive statistics demonstrated moderate awareness of AI (40.8%), dominating self-taught adoption (40.0%), and the frequency of usage being high (59.2% per week/day), with ChatGPT (30.0%), and virtual assistants (21.6%), prevailing in writing, brainstorming, and plagiarism. Integration was not even across the board as advanced tools (e.g., machine learning platforms, 4.0%) were barely utilized. Results are positive in favor of UGT, which demonstrates active selection of AI in terms of utilitarian and hedonic gratifications, but indicates shortcomings in formal training and ethical consciousness. Implications consist in the introduction of AI literacy in media curricula in order to maximize gratifications, and reduce the risks of dependency. This paper builds upon UGT to generative AI within Pakistani media education providing information on the fair implementation in resourceconstrained contexts.