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A Digital Sustainability Lens: Investigating Medical Students’ Adoption Intentions for AI-Powered NLP Tools in Learning Environments

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  • Mostafa Aboulnour Salem

    (Deanship of Development and Quality Assurance, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
    Department of Curricula and Teaching Methods, College of Education, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

This study investigates medical students’ intentions to adopt AI-powered Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot) within educational contexts aligned with the perceived requirements of digital sustainability. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), data were collected from 301 medical students in Saudi Arabia and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that Performance Expectancy (PE) (β = 0.65), Effort Expectancy (EE) (β = 0.58), and Social Influence (SI) (β = 0.53) collectively and significantly predict Behavioral Intention (BI), explicating 62% of the variance in BI (R 2 = 0.62). AI awareness did not significantly influence students’ responses or the relationships among constructs, possibly because practical familiarity and widespread exposure to AI-NLP tools exert a stronger influence than general awareness. Moreover, BI exhibited a strong positive effect on perceptions of digital sustainability (PDS) (β = 0.72, R 2 = 0.51), highlighting a meaningful link between AI adoption and sustainable digital practices. Consequently, these findings indicate the strategic role of AI-driven NLP tools as both educational innovations and key enablers of digital sustainability, aligning with global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 9. The study also concerns AI’s transformative potential in medical education and recommends further research, particularly longitudinal studies, to better understand the evolving impact of AI awareness on students’ adoption behaviours.

Suggested Citation

  • Mostafa Aboulnour Salem, 2025. "A Digital Sustainability Lens: Investigating Medical Students’ Adoption Intentions for AI-Powered NLP Tools in Learning Environments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:14:p:6379-:d:1699928
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mostafa Aboulnour Salem & Ali Saleh Alshebami, 2023. "Exploring the Impact of Mobile Exams on Saudi Arabian Students: Unveiling Anxiety and Behavioural Changes across Majors and Gender," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Sohail Akhtar & Manahil Mohammed Alfuraydan & Yasir Hayat Mughal & Kesavan Sreekantan Nair, 2025. "Adoption of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for Health Informatics and Administration Sustainability Education in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-26, April.
    3. Roman Meinhold & Christoph Wagner & Bablu Kumar Dhar, 2025. "Digital sustainability and eco‐environmental sustainability: A review of emerging technologies, resource challenges, and policy implications," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 2323-2338, April.
    4. Olivera Kostoska & Ljupco Kocarev, 2019. "A Novel ICT Framework for Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-31, April.
    5. Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Sameer M. AlNajdi & Mostafa A. Salem, 2025. "Sustainable AI Solutions for Empowering Visually Impaired Students: The Role of Assistive Technologies in Academic Success," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-18, June.
    6. Ali Saleh Alshebami & Abdullah Hamoud Ali Seraj & Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Abdullah Sultan Al Shammre & Salem Handhal Al Marri & Abdalwali Lutfi & Mostafa Aboulnour Salem & Ashraf Mahrous Nour Zaher, 2023. "Improving Social Performance through Innovative Small Green Businesses: Knowledge Sharing and Green Entrepreneurial Intention as Antecedents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, May.
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