Understanding AI Chatbot Adoption in Education: The Role of Perceived Usefulness, Ease of Use, and Anthropomorphic Tendencies

Abstract

This paper aims to highlight the underlying factors influencing AI-based ChatGPT usage behavior, considering the role of anthropomorphic tendency. It addresses existing gaps in AI literature, which has underexplored the anthropomorphization of nonhuman agents with human features in AI-based teaching and learning. This study extends the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) integrating anthropomorphism tendency on usage behavior of ChatGPT of undergraduates. Empirical examination with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that perception of ease of use and usefulness positively impact on attitudes and attitudes positively impacts on AI ChatGPT usage behavior in higher education. Furthermore, the novelty brings for the study with the anthropomorphism tendency as a moderator positively moderates perception of usefulness and ease of use on AI ChatGPT usage behavior in higher education. As the main theoretical contributions of the study this study contributes for the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) identifying perceived ease of use and usefulness towards attitude and usage behavior and bringing anthropomorphism tendency for the model as moderator as one of lack of focused area in extant literature in AI based ChatGPT. Also, this study provides valuable insights for the designers of AI based ChatGPT in embedding the humanistic feature in enhancing the usefulness and ease of use towards their attitudes and usage behavior.