Beyond the prompt: understanding ChatGPT outcomes through the lens of IT identity

Abstract

As the use of ChatGPT continues to expand, understanding its impact on users remains an emerging area of study. This research investigates how individuals form a sense of identity around ChatGPT, applying the information technology (IT) identity framework, with an added outcomes component, to assess the psychological relationship users develop with the tool. A survey of 312 active ChatGPT users was conducted to evaluate the framework’s applicability in this context and to explore the resulting behavioral and experiential outcomes. The model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results provide partial support for the IT identity framework in the ChatGPT context. The analysis indicates that regular interaction with ChatGPT is associated with the development of a distinct IT identity. Moreover, the presence of sufficient resources and organizational or contextual support significantly moderates this relationship, shaping user behaviors in meaningful ways. These behaviors, in turn, were linked to improvements in both individual performance and perceived social well-being. The findings also suggest that some relationships established in traditional IT contexts may operate differently in generative AI environments. By extending the IT identity framework to include specific outcome measures, this study offers a nuanced understanding of how AI-based tools like ChatGPT influence user identity and behavior based on the IT identity framework. The findings further contribute to understanding how AI-related identities form and highlight opportunities for refining IT identity theory in the context of generative AI assistants.