Demographic and psychological determinants of students’ attitudes toward the use of AI tools in education

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to examine whether demographic and psychological factors (such as locus of control, time perspectives and need for achievement) are related to students’ attitudes toward the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in education. Design/methodology/approach The study used an online survey method with a total of 504 respondents from Poland, Portugal and Brazil. The questionnaire included questions about usage frequency of AI tools, attitudes toward their ethical use and psychological characteristics of participants. Statistical analyses included non-parametric tests (Kruskal–Wallis test with Dunn’s post-hoc test) and Spearman’s rank correlations. Findings The results show significant correlations between the perception of ethical use of AI and the psychological characteristics of respondents. Differences in results according to the demographics were also observed. Brazilian and Portuguese students report higher levels of acceptance and regular use of AI compared to Polish students. Research limitations/implications Limitations of the study stem from the use of the survey method, as it relies on respondents’ self-assessment, which may yield responses that conform to public expectations. Practical implications The results can assist educational institutions in developing policies and programs to promote responsible and ethical use of AI tools, taking into account the differences in students’ attitudes based on their psychological and demographic characteristics. Social implications The study highlights the importance of transparency, honesty, and ethical education in the context of the growing role of AI, which can help academic organizations achieve greater social responsibility in this area. Originality/value It is one of the first studies to link psychological aspects with the perception of AI tools in an educational context.