Understanding the Factors Influencing Higher Education Students’ Intention to Adopt Artificial Intelligence-Based Robots

Although there has been some progress, the integration of artificial intelligence into higher education remains far from sufficient. The demand for teachers will persist for some time; however, with the introduction of AI-based robots into classrooms, the role of teachers has been reduced to a minimum. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate Chinese higher education students’ intentions to adopt AI-based robots for educational purposes. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) 3 model, the current study proposes 14 hypotheses to evaluate students’ intention to adopt AI-based robots in education. The students’ data were collected and analyzed using PLS-SEM. The study findings revealed that 12 hypotheses were accepted and two were rejected. The results indicate that students are willing to accept AI-based robots in their education. However, the findings revealed an insignificant influence of job relevance and robot anxiety on perceived usefulness and ease of use, respectively. The findings of this study will provide insight into university administrations regarding the significance of AI-based robots in education. Moreover, the findings will help robot developers, policymakers, and university administrators design and implement AI-based robots that fulfill contemporary education needs.