The Acceptance of Generative AI Tools Among Creative Arts Students

Abstract

The arrival of Generative AI tools has created a global phenomenon in the creative arts education. However, many art educators are still skeptical about its authenticity, thus preferring to remain with manual approaches that are perceived as more holistic and practical. This reluctance could hinder students' digital literacy and their ability to meet industry expectations. Thus, a fundamental question arises: How do creative arts students perceive Generative AI tools in terms of their practicality? To answer this question, the study employs Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to ascertain the relationships between two main variables, Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Perceived Usefulness (PU). Additionally, TAM measures Attitudes Toward Use (ATU), Behavioral Intentions to Use (BIU), and Actual Use (AU), offering insights into students' attitude to accept this technology. A total of 133 creative arts students from six UiTM branches participated in the study. The findings indicate that Perceived Usefulness (PU) strongly mediated Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Attitude Toward Use (ATU). In conjunction, Attitude Toward Use (ATU) mediated Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Behavioral Intention (BI) to Generative AI tools. These findings indicate a strong acceptance of Generative AI tools among creative arts students of UiTM, which art educators can leverage by incorporating them into the teaching and learning.