Bridging the Gap: How AI Literacy Shapes Perceptions of Usefulness, Ease of Use, and Risks in AI Adoption among University Students

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence tools, especially ChatGPT, into educational settings has generated heated discussions among educators, students, and policymakers. This study explores the University students' attitudes towards the use of ChatGPT in education by examining the impact of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and perceived risks (PR) on users' overall perception (OP) while AI literacy (AIL) is considered a moderating variable. Through a quantitative research design based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study surveys the university students enrolled in different degree levels and fields of study to gain insights into their attitudes, behaviors, and concerns about the implementation of ChatGPT in educational contexts. Smart PLS (SEM) was utilized to validate the hypotheses. The research findings revealed that perceived usefulness, ease of use, and perceived risks are three major factors that have significantly changed users' overall perception of AI. Nevertheless, AI literacy was not a significant moderator of these relationships, indicating that people's perceptions are mainly determined by the features of the technology rather than the level of user literacy. The results add value to the existing literature on the application of AI in education and provide practical implications for educational institutions that aim to develop policies and guidelines for responsible use of AI tools. This research, on one hand, explores the virtual literacy component and, on the other, it delves into the functioning of the balance between technological innovation and educational integrity.