AI literacy and e-entrepreneurial intention: A serial mediation model of e-entrepreneurial self-efficacy and e-entrepreneurial identity aspiration

• AI literacy stimulates e-entrepreneurial self-efficacy and identity aspiration. • E-entrepreneurial self-efficacy positively impacts identity aspiration and intentions. • E-entrepreneurial identity aspiration significantly drives e-entrepreneurial intentions. • AI literacy influences intentions through serial mediation of self-efficacy and aspiration. • The study applies the SOR framework to explain technology-driven entrepreneurial behavior. The rapid integration of artificial intelligence in education and entrepreneurship highlights the importance of artificial intelligence literacy as a foundational skill for fostering entrepreneurial intentions in the digital economy. This study applies the stimulus-organism-response framework to examine how artificial intelligence literacy influences e-entrepreneurial intention through the mediating roles of e-entrepreneurial self-efficacy and e-entrepreneurial identity aspiration. Data were collected from 504 undergraduate students at leading universities in Vietnam, using a stratified sampling approach. The results demonstrate that artificial intelligence literacy significantly enhances e-entrepreneurial self-efficacy and e-entrepreneurial identity aspiration, which are essential psychological mechanisms for driving entrepreneurial intention. Notably, the direct relationship between artificial intelligence literacy and e-entrepreneurial intention was not significant, emphasizing the importance of psychological pathways. The findings also reveal a serial mediation effect, where artificial intelligence literacy influences e-entrepreneurial intention sequentially through e-entrepreneurial self-efficacy and e-entrepreneurial identity aspiration. This research advances the theoretical understanding of the link between technological literacy and entrepreneurial behavior, particularly in the context of e-entrepreneurship. It expands the application of the stimulus-organism-response framework to entrepreneurial studies, offering a robust explanation of the mechanisms underlying the formation of entrepreneurial intention. Practically, educational institutions and policymakers should focus on enhancing artificial intelligence literacy while fostering self-efficacy and identity aspiration to promote entrepreneurial engagement among students.