Artificial Intelligence and Technological Anxiety Among University Students: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates technological anxiety among university students in the context of digital transformation and the diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI). Drawing on survey data from 410 students across eight academic departments, the study examines how disciplinary background, gender, and AI usage shape three interconnected dimensions of anxiety: Field of Study Anxiety, Employment Anxiety, and Technology Anxiety. The findings indicate that Employment Anxiety is the most pronounced dimension across departments, suggesting that students primarily experience technological transformation through concerns about employability and labor-market uncertainty. Disciplinary differences emerged across all three dimensions. Computer Engineering students reported higher levels of Technology Anxiety, while students in Theology and Sports Sciences reported lower levels. Female students experienced higher Employment Anxiety and Technology Anxiety than males. Although AI usage was negatively correlated with Technology Anxiety, this relationship became statistically insignificant after controlling for departmental differences, highlighting the importance of disciplinary context. Interpreted through the perspectives of risk society, reflexive modernization, and disciplinary habitus, the findings suggest that students' emotional responses to AI are shaped less by individual engagement and more by the institutional contexts in which technological change is experienced. This study offers a framework for understanding technological anxiety among university students.