EXPLORING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES AND PROFICIENCY IN USING AI TOOLS: A GENDER-BASED STUDY IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

AI systems are capable of carrying out activities like solving problems, interpreting language, identifying patterns, and making forecasts—typically with minimal or no direct human input. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) by both teachers and students is steadily increasing in universities; however, it remains relatively underexplored in the context of Pakistan. This study explored how familiar university students in Pakistan are with artificial intelligence tools. It also examined how often they use these tools in education and whether their attitudes and usage differ based on gender. A mixed method approach is used for this study. A survey was conducted as part of the quantitative phase, targeting students from public sector universities in District Multan, Pakistan. Using a random sampling technique, four public universities were selected, and data was collected from 930 students through multi-stage cluster sampling. For the qualitative phase, the focus was on students from Bahauddin Zakariya University, where fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted.