Over the past decades, digital transformation has impacted nearly every aspect of society, necessitating radical innovations. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and big data analytics present new opportunities to enhance existing business processes and create new ones, increasing efficiency. This shift demands new skills and capabilities to implement necessary structural changes swiftly and with minimal negative impact. Given that generative artificial intelligence technologies (GAITs) are still in their early stages and research on their applications is nascent, many questions remain unanswered.

This study aims to identify factors influencing social science students’ use and behavioral intentions regarding GAIT in their academic and research activities. Analyzing scientific publications enabled the creation of a conceptual model for the research and the development of a survey questionnaire. A pilot test conducted in Q2 2024 confirmed that the questionnaire’s questions are clear and unambiguous, making it suitable for gathering the necessary research data. The pilot survey results highlighted key factors influencing social science students’ use and behavioral intentions towards GAIT. As GAIT is still emerging, habitual use has not yet solidified, but students’ risk perception and ethical awareness are relatively high. More than half of the respondents agree or strongly agree that regulating GAIT through normative documents is appropriate.

Keywords: Generative artificial intelligence, higher education, universities, professional education, academic integrity, educational innovation, opportunities and risks.