Exploring college students' risk perception and acceptance intention of facial recognition technology in China

In response to China’s ‘smart campus’ trend, facial recognition technology (FRT) in higher education has evolved from identification to emotion recognition, raising various risks and controversies. Understanding college students’ perceptions is key to addressing these concerns and facilitating AI integration. This study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to gauge students’ attitudes towards FRT, introducing three new constructs: ‘personal innovativeness,’ ‘trust in the system,’ and ‘perceived risks.’ Results show that students’ personal innovativeness and trust in the system positively relate to their acceptance intention. Trust in FRT is hindered by perceived privacy, psychological, and performance risks, while perceived social risks are insignificant. Higher education shows less resistance to FRT due to normalized campus surveillance. Compared to Western societies, Chinese students’ Confucian cultural stance of ‘harmony but not uniformity’ reduces concerns about racial or religious discrimination from FRT. These findings are crucial for assessing FRT’s necessity and legality in higher education and devising risk mitigation strategies.