Degree of university students’ awareness of using artificial intelligence applications (ChatGPT) in the educational process in the UAE

This study aimed to assess the degree of university students’ awareness and use of artificial intelligence applications, specifically chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT), within the educational process in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The descriptive-analytical method was employed, using a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 608 male and female students from Ajman University, representing a population of 6,072. The results revealed that university students have a high overall level of awareness (mean = 3.72, standard deviation = 0.83). A detailed analysis of the underlying dimensions of awareness identified four key factors: skills development, problem-solving, information exchange, and knowledge acquisition. While the overall awareness was high, the level of awareness regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for skills development, problem-solving, and information exchange was average, with only the dimension of knowledge acquisition scoring high. Furthermore, the results showed no statistically significant differences in awareness levels based on gender or academic level. However, significant differences were found based on college, with students in scientific colleges reporting higher awareness than those in humanitarian colleges in the dimensions of skills development and problem-solving. The study recommends developing differentiated training programs and integrating AI tools into the curriculum under educator guidance to bridge the gap between basic awareness and advanced application. It also emphasizes that the use of applications like ChatGPT should not be absolute but must be guided and controlled by educators, and it advises incorporating an educational and social aspect into these technologies to suit the nature of the society.