INFLUENCE OF INNOVATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY ON DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS AMONG STUDENTS OF ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

This work looked at influence of innovation and artificial intelligence technology on development communication interventions among students of Enugu State University of Science and Technology. The research tried to ascertain how these technologies are shaping students' access to and interaction with development communication content, their perception of AI’s role in development discourse, and the overall effectiveness of these interventions in fostering meaningful engagement and positive change among them. Diffusion of Innovations was the theory used. The survey research design was employed. The population of the study was made up of all the students of ESUT, while a sample size of 380 was determined, using the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The sample was picked from the university students aged 18 and 45 years in 200 - 400 levels in five faculties and two departments in each of the faculties in the university, randomly by adopting the multi-stage sampling technique. Findings show among others that, innovative technologies, including social media, and virtual reality, have significantly improved university students’ participation in development communication programs. It was recommended that inter alia, development communication providers should leverage on AI and innovative tools to bring more development communication interventions to the doorsteps of university students.