Analysis College Students' attitude towards the use of ChatGPT in their academic activities: Effect of intent to use, verify information and responsible use

Abstract Background In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has increased worldwide. The launch of ChatGPT - 3, posed great challenges for higher education, given its popularity among university students. The present study aimed to analyze the attitude of university students towards the use of ChatGPT in their academic activities. Method The study was oriented to the quantitative approach and had a non-experimental design of applied type. An online survey was administered to the 499 participants. Results The results demonstrated nine out of 12 supported hypotheses: importance (β=0.193*), ease of use (β=0.204**), risk (β=-0.104**), interest (β=0.238**), boredom (β=-0.145**), positive emotions (β=0.418***), acceptance (β=0.441***), intention to use frequently (β=0.509***), intention to verify information, and responsible use (β=0.806***). Implications of the findings from previous research are discussed, providing a unified theory of attitude towards ChatGPT-UTAC that empirically tests the underlying constructs in students' attitudes toward ChatGPT use. Conclusion Ease of use, intention to use frequently, acceptance, and intention to verify information influenced the behavioral intention to use ChatGPT responsibly. On the one hand, the study provides suggestions for HEIs to implement improvements in their educational curricula to take advantage of the potential benefits of AI and contribute to AI literacy.