INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS ON SAFETY-ORIENTED CONSUMERISM AMONG UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The health of a student is a major determinant of academic achievement, without optimal health, the journey of academics might be uneasy and unachievable. This population's health can be greatly influenced by Consumerism which is primarily concerned with what they consume, when they consume it, how they consume it and the effect of that consumption on their health. Consumerism affects lifestyle choices which in turn affect health status; the 19th century consumerism was more concerned with the social status of individuals with little or no recognition for the importance of health, however the 21st century consumerism prioritizes health while trying to equally embrace the social value of the product. Safety oriented consumerism is therefore a necessary skill in every modern society especially because the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have a great influence on almost every product and act. This paper investigated students' level of awareness on the use of AI applications for nutritional guidance and the influence of this awareness on safety-oriented consumerism, among university undergraduates in Osun State, Nigeria. A Cross-sectional survey design was used and a total of 316 respondents were selected. Result showed that 44.62% of them are very aware of the use of AI for nutritional guidance but only 19% of them practice safety-oriented consumerism as a result of this awareness. The study therefore recommends the integration of digital health literacy in the school curriculum by NUC and the endorsement of AI-powered apps that allow the verification of products for authenticity by NAFDAC.