Examining Student Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence-Driven Gamified E-Learning: The Interplay of Enjoyment, Trust, and Attitude

The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and gamification in education has become a topic of attention. Therefore, the interest in the factors influencing the students adoption of such platforms. This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by incorporating gamification, perceived enjoyment, and trust in AI to investigate students intention to use an AI-powered gamification-based e-learning platform. Data were collected using purposive sampling via an online survey from March to May 2026. A total of 447 respondents participated, consisting of students in Indonesia who actively use gamification-based applications such as Duolingo, Quizizz, and Kahoot. SmartPLS was used to test seven variables and ten hypotheses using PLS-SEM. Findings supported all ten hypotheses. Gamification was the most important driver, and it strongly enhanced perceptions of usefulness, ease of use and enjoyment. Trust in AI positively affects perceived usefulness and attitude, and attitude is the best predictor of intention to use. Perceived enjoyment also directly impacts behavioral intention, supporting the role of motivation in maintaining long-term platform engagement.