Julio Cabero-Almenara, Antonio Palacios-Rodríguez, Carmen Llorente-Cejudo, Julio Barroso-Osuna
The incorporation of artificial intelligence into education is transforming teaching and learning processes, generating the need to understand how students perceive and accept these new technologies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of ChatGPT among university students. The research included 254 students, mostly between 18 and 20 years old. Using an ex post facto methodology, the relationships between the variables of the UTAUT2 model were analyzed to examine the acceptance of ChatGPT, using a questionnaire based on Strzelecki & ElArabawy (2024) to collect data on perceptions and behaviors. The results show that the model's dimensions have a significant impact on usage behavior, and that students who use ChatGPT more frequently tend to perceive it as a more useful and user-friendly tool. These findings highlight the importance of promoting the integration of artificial intelligence into educational settings. However, this growing reliance on AI-based tools also raises critical questions about the potential effects on the development of critical thinking, student autonomy, and equity in access to technology, opening a necessary debate on how to balance technological innovation with ethical and reflective training in education. It is concluded that tools like ChatGPT not only influence the academic field but also contribute to the social and cultural transformation in which they are immersed.