Abstract:
ChatGPT is a form of generative AI tool used for content creation, code generation,
and information retrieval. Enhancement of student academic productivity in the
recent past has led to its popularity among youth. It has been reported that ChatGPT
can improve students’ academic productivity. On the other hand, educators and
researchers argue that using ChatGPT, has some negative impact on student learning;
creativity blunting, academic plagiarism, becoming dependent on technology,
generating incorrect answers, etc. Objective of this study is to identify the impact of
adoption to ChatGPT on youth. Quantitative research approach was employed and
data were collected from 380 undergraduates of five (05) selected leading private
sector universities using online pre-tested structured questionnaires. Conceptual
Framework was formulated with Relative advantage, Compatibility, Ease of Use, and
Observability as independent variables, and adoption of ChatGPT among Youth as
the dependent variable. Data were analyzed using SPSS. The findings revealed that
relative advantage, and Ease of Use are the most significant positive predictors of
adoption among youth. These factors highlight the importance of emphasizing the
unique value of ChatGPT, and ensuring a user-friendly interface to encourage broader
adoption. Compatibility and Observability factors have been identified as significant,
but with a lesser impact compared to the other two factors. Researcher recommended
that for ChatGPT to be more widely adopted by young users, developers and
policymakers should prioritize improving user experience and effectively
communicating the benefits of the tool. These efforts could help to bridge the gap
between awareness and active adoption. This research adds to the existing literature
on AI technology adoption, particularly in relation to conversational agents like
ChatGPT, by offering insights into what drives adoption among youth. In addressing
the knowledge gap, researcher suggests that focusing on usability and clearly
demonstrating the practical advantages of AI technologies like ChatGPT could
significantly boost adoption rates among youth.
