: Between Innovation and Dependence: A Multi-Dimensional Study on ChatGPT Users’ Perceptions

Salman A.

3rd INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH 2025, Sinop, Türkiye, 24 - 25 Aralık 2025, ss.19-29, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Sinop
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.19-29
  • Maltepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has transformed generative AI (GenAI) from a technical innovation into a social phenomenon that reshapes how individuals learn, create, and think. Tools based on large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, enable fast information access and time efficiency but also raise debates over creativity, ethics, and cognitive dependency. Recent studies indicate that GenAI improves productivity in academic and professional settings, yet may reduce critical thinking and deep learning. This study explores perceptions of GenAI use by evaluating ChatGPT experiences across diverse age groups and professions. Conducted in 2025, it collected data from 245 participants through an online survey, including mostly university students (over 60%) as well as engineers, lecturers, healthcare professionals, and public employees. Alongside quantitative findings, 95 open-ended responses were thematically analyzed to capture users’ reflections. Results show that ChatGPT is primarily used for information retrieval, academic writing, and time management, while concerns include creativity loss, cognitive laziness, ethical risks, and information reliability. Participants view ChatGPT both as a “revolutionary tool” and a “threat that devalues human labor,” echoing the ambivalence found in prior literature. The study’s novelty lies in its holistic assessment of ChatGPT’s social, cognitive, and ethical dimensionsacross sectors. Findings highlight that users’ awareness and digital ethics strongly shape the benefits of AI use. Sustainable adoption, therefore, depends on fostering critical thinking, digital literacy, and ethical awareness within educational and professional systems.

Keywords: ChatGPT, Generative Artificial Intelligence, User Perception, Digital Ethics, AI Literacy