University Students’ Acceptance and Usage of Generative AI (ChatGPT) from a Psycho-Technical Perspective

The emergence of ChatGPT as a generative AI tool has revolutionized the educational scenario by bringing in unprecedented changes. In this respect exploring the factors that affect the adoption and acceptance of ChatGPT services for educational purpose is of utmost importance. Accordingly, in this work we take a hybrid psycho-technical approach by considering the technological (perceived usefulness, ease of use and facilitating conditions), contextual (perceived humanness and novelty value), and psychological (agreeableness, extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism) gratifications of ChatGPT use. Data is collected from a sample of university students who use ChatGPT regularly across two Asian countries. The data analysis is done using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. Results indicate that among the technical factors only perceived usefulness successfully predicts ChatGPT usage. Both the contextual factors of humanness and novelty use significantly explain ChatGPT usage. Finally, among the psychological factors’ openness, agreeableness, and neuroticism determine the usage scenario, however, the later two are found to be negatively associated with ChatGPT usage.