The Age of Human Comparison With AI: Development of AI Competence Anxiety Scale and AI Optimism Scale and Their Relationship with Generative AI Literacy and AI Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The sudden penetration of artificial intelligence (AI) into daily life prompts individuals to compare their own competence with that of AI technologies. Moreover, the expectation that AI will bring many benefits keeps optimism about AI alive. Accordingly, we aimed to develop the AI Competence Anxiety Scale (AICAS) (in Studies I and II) and the AI Optimism Scale (AIOS) (in Studies III and IV) and to examine the serial mediating role of AI self-efficacy and AI optimism between generative AI (GenAI) literacy and AI competence anxiety (in Study V). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a single-factor structure for the AICAS and AIOS, and Item Response Theory found high discrimination of the items (Study I for AICAS and Study III for AIOS). Model fit values, convergent validity, composite reliability, and reliability coefficients of AICAS and AIOS were within the acceptance range (Study II for AICAS and Study IV for AIOS). As evidence of criterion-related validity, AI competence anxiety showed significant associations with AI anxiety and acceptance, whereas AI optimism was significantly related to digital well-being and AI self-efficacy. Study V found that AI self-efficacy and AI optimism mediated the relationship between GenAI literacy and AI competence anxiety. These results suggest that AICAS, for measuring AI competence anxiety, and AIOS for measuring AI optimism, are valuable and valid. They also suggest that GenAI literacy-based strategies have the potential to alleviate AI competence anxiety by enhancing AI self-efficacy and AI optimism.