Perceived AI empowerment is positively associated with university students' trust in AI and their dependence on GenAI¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2 · i2–i3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i3 Perceived AI empowerment is positively associated with trust in AI (β = 0.576). → Zhu K 2026 q2 i2 Perceived AI empowerment is positively and directly associated with AI dependence (β = 0.216). → Zhu K 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Zhu K 2026¶

Zhu K, Ma Y, Zhang J and Liu J (2026). Perceived AI empowerment and threat in relation to university students' dependence on GenAI: the indirect role of trust in AI. Front. Psychol. 17:1940317. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1940317

q2 · i3 · associational · r2

Cross-sectional SEM among 360 GenAI-experienced Chinese university students; standardized STDYX path from perceived AI empowerment to trust in AI was positive, "β=0.576,95%CI[0.493, 0.653]", excluding zero.

"Perceived AI empowerment (PE) was positively associated with trust in AI (TR; β=0.576,95%CI[0.493, 0.653])"

Zhu K 2026 (2)¶

Zhu K, Ma Y, Zhang J and Liu J (2026). Perceived AI empowerment and threat in relation to university students' dependence on GenAI: the indirect role of trust in AI. Front. Psychol. 17:1940317. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1940317

q2 · i2 · associational · r2

Same SEM sample of 360 students; the direct empowerment-to-dependence path was significant with "β = 0.216,SE =0.059,95%CI[0.095,0.328]", a CI excluding zero.

"Perceived AI empowerment also showed a significant positive direct association with AI dependence (β = 0.216,SE =0.059,95%CI[0.095,0.328])"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

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• Perceived AI empowerment and perceived AI threat are weakly and non-significantly correlated, suggesting relatively independent appraisals — related
• Trust in AI partially mediates the associations of both perceived AI empowerment and perceived AI threat with GenAI dependence — related
• Perceived AI threat is negatively associated with university students' trust in AI and their dependence on GenAI — related
• Trust in AI is positively associated with university students' dependence on GenAI — related
• Perceived trust mediates the relationship between social influence and generative AI dependence — related
• Epistemic and society-related AI knowledge were negatively associated with trust in GenAI — related
• Observers' perceptions of a classmate's GenAI use are negatively associated with interpersonal trust among university students — related