The influence of college students’ AI literacy on perceived usefulness: a moderated mediation model with AI anxiety and trust across disciplinary backgrounds

Vollständiger Abstract

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Background To investigate how AI literacy influences perceived usefulness among university students from different disciplinary backgrounds, this study examines the roles of AI anxiety and trust. Methods Based on 563 valid samples collected from university students, a moderated mediation model was utilized to explore AI anxiety as a mediator and trust as a moderator across various disciplinary backgrounds. Results Results indicate that: (1) AI literacy significantly and positively predicted perceived usefulness, whereas AI anxiety negatively predicted perceived usefulness; (2) AI anxiety mediated the relationship between AI literacy and perceived usefulness; (3) Trust significantly moderated the relationship between AI literacy and AI anxiety, with high levels of trust buffering anxiety arising from low AI literacy; (4) Students from different disciplinary backgrounds exhibited differences in AI literacy, AI anxiety, trust, and perceived usefulness, yet trust’s moderating effect remained consistent across disciplines. Discussion This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) within an AI context, revealing the synergistic mechanisms of cognitive, affective, and socio-psychological factors in university students’ AI adoption processes. The findings provide actionable guidance for AI education in higher education by emphasizing the need for discipline-specific curricula alongside targeted interventions that enhance trust and reduce AI anxiety, thereby improving students’ perceived usefulness and engagement with AI technologies.