Ho Chi Minh University of Banking, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh University of Banking, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Within the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education has become inevitable. AI tools are used by students to increase the efficiency of learning and research; however, acceptance levels vary across individuals. Among university students, usage is still mostly informal and lacks official recognition or adequate instruction, especially in developing countries. There has been limited research investigating the determinants that lead to students' intention to adopt AI in learning and research, especially within emerging economies such as Vietnam. On the basis of this gap, this study identifies and measures factors influencing the intention to use AI for learning and research among students in Ho Chi Minh City, drawing on an extended UTAUT2 model. With the extension of UTAUT2, the proposed model involves the integration of core acceptance factors with individual-level extensions. Data were collected from 258 students via an online survey and analyzed with SPSS 26. The linear regression results indicate that performance expectancy, perceived interactivity, and facilitating conditions positively and strongly predict intention to use, whereas privacy concerns exert a significant negative effeclt. The three strongest positive predictors are performance expectancy, perceived interactivity, and facilitating conditions. The findings help clarify the drivers of and barriers to AI use in higher education. Following these findings, this study has practical implications for universities, instructors, and technology developers to improve the effectiveness of AI integration in higher education. These findings are intended to reinforce learning and research outcomes and support the development of effective AI integration strategies in Vietnam’s higher education system, promoting intelligence and sustainability.

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