Study reveals who turns to Gen-AI most in higher education
Scientists from Türkiye, India, South Korea, and Kuwait conducted a large study on how students’ personality traits shape their use of Generative AI in education. The findings were published in Nature - Scientific Reports, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The team surveyed 1,016 students from fields ranging from engineering to medicine. All participants already had experience with Gen-AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bing AI, or Jasper. Respondents were between 17 and 28 years old, with most pursuing undergraduate degrees.
The analysis showed that students with traits like openness to new experiences (originality, curiosity, artistic sensitivity, and inquisitiveness) and conscientiousness (being hardworking, self-regulated, diligent, careful, responsible, achievement-oriented) were the most frequent users of AI. These two qualities turned out to be the strongest predictors of active Gen-AI adoption.
Extraversion also played a role, though to a lesser extent. In contrast, high levels of neuroticism(marked by emotions such as irritability, depression, anxiety, emotional instability, self-consciousness, and frustration), linked to anxiety and emotional instability, reduced the likelihood of using the technology. Agreeableness (kindness, helpfulness, cooperativeness, good-naturedness, trust, tolerance, and compassion) showed no meaningful connection.
Gender differences were also notable. For women, conscientiousness was the stronger factor, while for men it was openness, tied to curiosity and creativity.
Extraversion encouraged AI use in both groups but had a stronger effect among female students. Neuroticism, on the other hand, was more of a barrier to AI adoption in women’s studies.
The authors note that these insights could help design more personalized educational programs and Gen-AI interfaces. For instance, interactive formats may be especially effective for extroverts, while flexible, exploratory tasks could better suit students with high openness.
Looking ahead, the researchers suggest factoring in personality traits when integrating AI into higher education, which could make learning more effective and inclusive. At the same time, they stress the importance of addressing related challenges, from ethics to academic integrity.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that OpenAI study revealed why AI models “hallucinate”.