Adoption of AI Chatbots by South African university students

AI Chatbots hold considerable promise for transforming teaching and learning in higher education, particularly in supporting academic writing.However, their adoption by students is shaped by various perceptual and contextual factors.This study investigates the adoption of AI Chatbots by South African university students, guided by the Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT).It specifically examines four constructs: Perceived Compatibility, Perceived Relative Advantage, Technology Self-Efficacy, and Perceived Complexity.Using a quantitative research design, data were collected via a structured questionnaire from 224 students across all academic levels at the University of Fort Hare.The sample was purposively selected to reflect a range of experiences with AI technologies.The instrument was grounded in IDT and included validated Likert-scale items measuring each construct.The findings reveal that Perceived Compatibility, Relative Advantage, and Technology Self-Efficacy significantly and positively influence chatbot adoption.Students who viewed chatbots as compatible with academic writing tasks and beneficial in improving writing quality were more likely to use them.Higher levels of technology selfefficacy further strengthened adoption.Conversely, Perceived Complexity was negatively associated with adoption, though this effect was moderate.These results offer practical implications.To support AI integration in higher education, chatbot systems must be user-friendly, contextually relevant, and embedded in digital literacy development.The study contributes empirical evidence from a Global South context, highlighting the intersection of psychological, technological, and contextual factors.It also offers actionable guidance for educators, developers, and policymakers seeking to leverage AI to enhance student engagement and academic performance.