WHEN AI BECOMES A THINKING FRIEND: THE IMPACT OF EASE AND TRUST ON STUDENT DECISION MAKING

Abstract

This study aims to examine the influence of ease of use, information quality, and trust in artificial intelligence (AI) on students’ decision-making behavior as AI increasingly becomes a “thinking friend” in academic contexts. A quantitative method was used by distributing a Likert-scale questionnaire to university students who actively utilize AI tools for learning and everyday decision-making. The findings show that ease of use and trust in AI have a positive and significant effect on decision-making, indicating that students are more likely to rely on AI when they feel comfortable using it and believe in its reliability. However, information quality does not demonstrate a significant contribution to decision outcomes, implying that students prioritize usability and trust over the accuracy or depth of the information provided by AI. This study highlights the importance of the psychological acceptance process in technology-assisted cognitive behavior, contributing theoretically to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in the context of AI-supported decisions. Practically, the results suggest that AI systems designed to be user-friendly and trustworthy can enhance students’ confidence and effectiveness in making decisions.