Trusting ChatGPT does not necessarily mean finding it easy to use. This is one of the most interesting conclusions of a study examining what motivates university students to incorporate generative artificial intelligence into their learning. The findings show that trust influences how useful students perceive ChatGPT to be, but not how easy they believe it is to use.
By contrast, familiarity with its capabilities and potential benefits positively influences both perceptions. The study, entitled The Effects of Awareness and Trust on Students’ Willingness to Use ChatGPT: An Integrated TAM-ECM Model, published in RIED – Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, was conducted by Sultan Hammad Alshammari, Abdullah Zaid Almankory, and Muna Eid Alrashidi, researchers at the University of Ha'il (Saudi Arabia).
To explore these relationships, the authors analyzed responses from 322 university students using a statistical model combining two established approaches to technology adoption: the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM). This integrated approach examines not only perceived usefulness and ease of use, but also awareness of the technology, trust, expectation confirmation, and satisfaction.
The model explains 59% of the variance in students’ intention to use ChatGPT. One particularly notable finding is the importance of perceived usefulness, which shows a strong association with both satisfaction and intention to use the tool. The results also indicate that students whose experiences with ChatGPT meet their expectations report greater satisfaction and perceive the technology as more useful.
The educational implications extend well beyond simply providing access to ChatGPT. Making an artificial intelligence tool available to students is not enough: they also need support in understanding what it can offer, how to use it, and where its limitations lie. The researchers recommend strengthening AI literacy through practical activities, targeted training, and institutional guidelines that encourage informed and responsible use.
They also emphasize the importance of improving the transparency and reliability of these systems to build user trust. Although the findings come from a single university and cannot automatically be generalized to other educational contexts, they highlight a fundamental issue for higher education: the sustained adoption of artificial intelligence depends not only on the characteristics of the technology itself, but also on the experiences, knowledge, and expectations of those who use it.
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How to Cite: Alshammari, S. H., Almankory, A. Z., & Alrashidi, M. E. (2025). The effects of awareness and trust on students’ willingness to use ChatGPT: an integrated TAM-ECM model. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 28(2), 155–180. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.28.2.43476
