Understanding AI adoption in education: a TAM perspective on students’ and teachers’ perceptions

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, we have experienced exponential growth. The advent of the Internet marked a significant shift in how we work and access information. We are now in a new phase, where the speed of information processing and storage capacity have prompted another exponential change. The arrival of new technologies such as mobile applications, Big Data, and artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the university environment. These innovations aim to enhance the educational experience, optimize administrative processes, and support academic research. The effectiveness of these technologies depends on their acceptance by students and faculty, making it crucial to evaluate user adaptation. Despite extensive research on technology development, there is a lack of studies validating their impact and acceptance in academic settings. This research addresses this deficiency by presenting a new model based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) tailored for university students and faculty. The study introduces an assessment system for digital maturity levels using a fuzzy 2-tuple linguistic model and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results demonstrate a significant correlation between the use of AI and the enhancement of the academic experience in universities.