The Influence of Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, and Personality Traits on Purchase Decision-Making Among Generation Z University Students

This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI), social media usability, and personality traits jointly shape purchase decision-making among Generation Z university students. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and personality psychology, the study conceptualizes perceived usefulness of AI and perceived ease of use of social media as direct technological drivers of purchasing, while the Big Five personality traits are modeled as both antecedents and boundary conditions. Survey data were collected from 506 Generation Z students enrolled in northern Malaysian public universities and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness of AI and perceived ease of use of social media exert small yet statistically significant, positive effects on purchase decision-making. Personality traits also exhibit significant direct effects. Furthermore, moderation analysis reveals that personality traits significantly condition the impact of AI usefulness on purchasing behavior, whereas there was no significant evidence that personality traits moderate the effect of social media ease of use. These findings suggest that while functional efficiency benefits from psychographic alignment, technological convenience operates as a broadly consistent driver of purchasing decisions. The study contributes to the literature by extending TAM beyond intention-based models and clarifying the contingent role of personality in AI-enabled consumption contexts. Practical implications for AI-driven marketing design and psychographic segmentation are discussed.