Navigating the AI Era: Attitudes of Undergraduate Students at a University in Anand District, Gujarat

Abstract

Navigating the AI Era: Attitudes of Undergraduate Students at a University in Anand District, GujaratArtificial Intelligence (AI) has swiftly changed education, healthcare, engineering, pharmacy, and information technology, leading to an increasing demand for AI understanding and literacy among university students. Grasping students' views on AI is crucial, as these beliefs will affect their future careers, technology acceptance, and readiness for a more automated society. This quantitative cross-sectional study evaluated attitudes toward AI among undergraduate students at a University in Anand District, Gujarat, exploring relationships with certain demographic factors and comparing views between technical and non-technical academic disciplines. A total of 384 second-year university students across different disciplines participated through convenience sampling. Data were gathered through a structured online survey that included demographic details and the validated General Attitude toward AI Scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.832; Mukherjee & Dasgupta, 2024). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and comparative evaluations were conducted The findings indicate an extraordinarily high level of awareness (97.4%) and utilization (95.1%) of AI tools. Most (81.8%) students showed a favorable view of AI, indicating significant acceptance and perceived value in education and everyday activities. Strong connections were found among attitudes, monthly family income, previous experience with AI tools, and regularity of using AI-driven applications. No notable connections were identified between age, gender, place of residence, duration of internet usage, or incorporation of AI into the curriculum. Significantly, non-technical students showed much higher attitude scores than technical students, indicating more enthusiasm and perceived advantages among those less acquainted with AI’s technical intricacies. The results underscore significant student openness to AI and stress the necessity for organized AI literacy initiatives customized to various fields. The understandings obtained could direct improvements in curriculum, faculty development, and ethical AI incorporation throughout higher education environments