How Will Artificial Intelligence Perception Shape the Careers of Tourism Students? An EEG-Based Study

Abstract

This study explores how tourism students, as future hospitality professionals, respond emotionally and cognitively to AI framed as either an opportunity or a threat. Unlike prior research relying on self-reports, this study uses electroencephalography (EEG) to capture implicit affective and cognitive responses. Forty students were randomly assigned to view positive AI statements (efficiency, sustainability, customer experience) or negative ones (job insecurity, reduced human interaction, ethics), after a baseline recording. EEG measured valence, arousal, approach–withdrawal orientation, and alpha synchronization. Results revealed a clear duality: positive statements produced positive valence, lower arousal, and higher alpha synchronization, indicating comfort and openness; negative statements triggered negative valence, higher arousal, and alpha desynchronization, reflecting stress and vigilance. Students recognized AI's benefits while remaining alert to its risks. The study highlights EEG's value in revealing subconscious responses complementing self-reports, underscoring the need for balanced educational strategies supporting sustainable AI integration in hospitality.