Exploring Students Awareness, Access and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Architectural Design

Artificial intelligence has become a trending topic in the last decade and has permeated all spheres of life and profession and Architecture is no exception. The use of artificial intelligence in architecture is still in its infancy as more research is still being carried out in the application of artificial intelligence in architecture to solve problems ranging from intelligent material design to architectural plan solutions. This study aimed to examine students’ levels of awareness, access, and use of artificial intelligence in architectural design at selected tertiary institutions in Southeast Nigeria. The three tertiary institutions selected are; The Department of Architectural Technology, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, The Department of Architectural Technology Abia State Polytechnic, Aba and The Department of Architecture, Abia State University, Uturu. The main objective is to carry out a survey to investigate the awareness, access, and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in architectural design among students in selected tertiary institutions in Southeast Nigeria. This study adopted a descriptive research design of the survey method and employed a three-sectioned questionnaire to elicit information from the respondents. The sample size included a multistage sample of 300 undergraduates across three tertiary institutions in Ebonyi State and Abia State. The findings of the study were that the majority of the students are not aware of artificial intelligence and will use AI if they are aware of it and have access to it for their architectural design. Therefore, there is a need for integrating AI-related courses and workshops into the Architectural curriculum which can lead to better-prepared graduates who are proficient in using advanced design tools, potentially increasing their employability and innovation in the field. This study concluded that students' ability to explore digital resources such as AI for Architectural design is dependent on their awareness and access to digital technologies. A lack of these will result in a lack of use and lack of skill to use them.