AI-Supported Scientific Knowledge Development in Higher Education: The Role of AI Literacy among University Students

Abstract

The research investigates how digital competence, prior experience with AI technologies, and attitudes toward artificial intelligence influence students’ AI literacy, as well as how AI literacy contributes to the development of scientific knowledge supported by AI tools. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 274 university students. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability testing, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The findings reveal that digital competence, experience with AI technologies, and positive attitudes toward AI are significant predictors of AI literacy, jointly explaining 52% of its variance. Furthermore, AI literacy significantly influences AI-assisted scientific knowledge development, accounting for 40% of the variance in this outcome. These results demonstrate that students with higher levels of AI literacy are better equipped to use AI tools for exploring academic information, analyzing scientific knowledge, and generating scholarly ideas. The study highlights AI literacy as a key competence for effective and responsible engagement with artificial intelligence in higher education. By emphasizing the importance of developing students’ AI-related skills and understanding, the research contributes to the growing body of literature on AI in education and underscores the need to integrate AI literacy into higher education curricula to enhance academic learning and knowledge development