Assessing student awareness and engagement with AI-based conversational agents in higher education

The study aimed to assess students' awareness of AI-powered conversational agents (e.g., chatbots and virtual assistants) and their impact on education—particularly in individualized learning, critical thinking, and engagement. Conducted in the Delhi-NCR region with 123 students, the cross-sectional study used a standardized questionnaire and applied descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to explore correlations between awareness and demographic factors like age, gender, and qualification. Findings reveal that students value AI tools for personalized support, instant feedback, and 24/7 accessibility. However, concerns such as trust issues, technical glitches, and accuracy limitations persist. Qualification significantly influenced awareness, while age affected its nature. Students acknowledged that AI integration in hybrid learning balances tech efficiency with educator guidance. The study recommends training and awareness campaigns to enhance effective AI adoption. Unlike prior studies, this research provides a nuanced understanding of student perceptions of AI conversational agents in the Indian educational context.