Inteligencia artificial generativa en estudiantes universitarios en México: utilidad percibida, confianza, creatividad y emociones en instituciones públicas y privadas.

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has rapidly emerged as a transformative force in higher education, offering opportunities for innovation while potentially reinforcing existing inequalities. This study comparatively examines the perceptions of university students in Mexico from public and private institutions regarding GenAI across cognitive (perceived usefulness, ease of use), attitudinal (attitude, trust, creativity), and socio-emotional dimensions (enjoyment, positive and negative emotions). A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed with a sample of 274 students, using a validated questionnaire with high internal consistency (α > 0.80). Data were analyzed through MANOVA and follow-up univariate ANOVAs. Findings reveal that students from private universities report significantly higher levels of perceived usefulness, ease of use, and attitude toward GenAI, although effect sizes were small, suggesting that institutional type explains only a limited portion of the variance. Emotional experiences, by contrast, were largely homogeneous across groups. These results partially support the notion that structural inequalities influence technological appropriation, though not uniformly across all dimensions. The study contributes empirical evidence from Mexico to the emerging literature on GenAI adoption in higher education and underscores the importance of strengthening technological infrastructure and advancing AI literacy to promote more equitable integration.