Investigating Students' Attitudes & Trust in AI During COVID-19

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a part of society for a considerable amount of time since its formal foundation in 1956 and can be used to perform cognitive tasks at a level similar or greater than humans. In our modern era of advanced intelligence machines and processing capabilities, AI is being pushed further into society at a fast rate. With advancing AI like ChatGPT and self-driving vehicles, it is important for society to understand the implications of trusting this technology. Studies have discussed AI being used in the medical field to combat mental health issues and identify attitudes. However, there is a gap in research over adults' levels of trust towards AI and how those feelings have evolved over the course of COVID-19. This research paper explores how trust college/university undergraduate/graduate adults evolved over the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to fill that gap. To address the general attitudes and levels of trust towards AI, a mixed-method quantitative and qualitative study was conducted utilizing a survey. The survey inquired about general attitudes using the General Attitudes towards AI Scale (GAAIS) and open-ended questions to measure levels of trust in relation to the pandemic. It was concluded that while participants demonstrated a positive attitude towards AI (70.4% ), most participants had low levels of trust reflected in their fears and concerns of future AI implementation. A high percentage of positivity towards AI coupled with low levels of trust indicates a complex attitude towards artificial intelligence.