Examining the Impact of Artificial Intelligence Applications on Generation Z Through the Example of ChatGPT

This study aims to examine the attitudes (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) of Generation Z towards ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence application developed by OpenAI. A conforming sampling method was used. The data collected were analyzed using MAXQDA software. According to the research findings, the most important factors in deciding to use ChatGPT are friends/social circle and social media. The most significant variable in the motivation for using ChatGPT is access to information. The prominent dimensions in ChatGPT usage behavior are academic life, assignments, and information acquisition. In the emotional dimension of attitudes towards ChatGPT, the most prominent variable is curiosity, followed by admiration, anxiety, excitement, and doubt. In negative evaluations of ChatGPT, ethical and security concerns and distrust of the information obtained stand out. Participants are aware of various risks associated with the use of AI: the risk of replacing human interaction, posing a threat to social skills and emotional regulation; ethical issues and data security concerns, increasing participants' need for fact-checking behavior. This research focuses on a significant gap in the field by examining how Generation Z's attitudes (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) towards the ChatGPT artificial intelligence application are formed, which dimensions and factors influence Generation Z.