Perceived AI benefits and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition among university students: The moderating role of AI trust

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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities for entrepreneurial learning, yet how students’ perceptions of AI relate to opportunity recognition, and trust’s role, remain unclear. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model and opportunity recognition theory, seven hypotheses tested how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and AI creativity support affect opportunity recognition capability, with AI trust as a direct predictor and moderator. Data from 475 final-semester students at public universities in South Punjab, Pakistan, were analyzed using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4. Perceived usefulness (β = 0.371), perceived ease of use (β = 0.291), and AI creativity support (β = 0.494) were significantly and positively related to opportunity recognition capability (all p < .001). AI trust moderated the effects of perceived usefulness (β = 0.154, p = .005) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.275, p < .001), but had no significant direct effect or moderating effect on AI creativity support. Five of seven hypotheses were supported; the model explained 45.5% of the variance in opportunity recognition capability. The study suggested that universities should integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into entrepreneurship education to enhance students’ entrepreneurial learning and capabilities.