Generative AI, Cultural Information Risks and the Negotiation of Youth Cultural Identity: A Qualitative Comparison of University Students in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is changing how young people access cultural knowledge and understand sociocultural narratives. Some research has examined the information risks of Generative AI (GenAI), but few have studied how young people from different cultural backgrounds perceive and are affected by these risks. Based on the interviews conducted with 33 university students in Shenzhen from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, this paper conducts thematic analysis and cross-background comparison of their views on risks to cultural information, strategies for identity negotiation and related sociocultural experiences. Based on the above analysis, the three main topics are: (1) the three perceived risks: information distortion, cultural misrepresentation and information homogenization; (2) the three identity negotiation strategies in response to AI-generated cultural information: identity affirmation, identity reconsideration and identity defense; and (3) associations of language use, platform exposure and cross-regional cultural experiences with different interpretations and responses to cultural information by participants. Based on the data in this paper, it has been determined that participants' previous cultural experiences are incorporated into their perception and response of AI-generated cultural materials; therefore, this study will provide specific evidence to help improve the critical evaluation of cultural information and digital literacy education for young people in the Greater Bay Area.