Unveiling Student Adoption of Generative AI in Higher Education: The Roles of Perceived Humanness, Personal Innovativeness, and Trust

In recent times, the introduction of generative artificial intelligence tools has brought about revolutionary changes in every sector, including higher education. This study aims to investigate the drivers influencing students’ intentions and usage behavior regarding ChatGPT, a renowned generative AI tool, in higher education. We extend the original Technology Acceptance Model with new constructs, including perceived humanness, personal innovativeness, and trust. The collected data from 485 Bangladeshi university students were analyzed using structural equation modeling through SmartPLS-4. The study results reveal that perceived usefulness, ease of use, humanness, personal innovativeness, and trust in ChatGPT all positively influence students’ attitudes toward using ChatGPT in higher education. Furthermore, students’ positive attitudes toward ChatGPT significantly influence their intention. In addition, this positive intention, in turn, positively affects their usage behavior. Moreover, trust in ChatGPT differentially moderates students’ attitudes toward its use, strengthening the influence of perceived ease of use while weakening that of perceived usefulness. This indicates that students who trust ChatGPT are more likely to perceive it as easy and user-friendly. This study offers critical insights for service providers, educators, and policymakers to promote the adoption of and ensure the delivery of efficient, user-centric ChatGPT solutions in higher education.