User Experience with ChatGPT in a Nigerian University Library: Exploring Users' Satisfaction and Feedback

Abstract

Given the integration of ChatGPT and similar AI-based solutions in academic libraries and the increasing emphasis on user-centred services, it is crucial to evaluate the user experience with ChatGPT. Given this, this study investigated users' satisfaction levels and gather feedback from library patrons who have interacted with ChatGPT at the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi (FUTIA), Akwa Ibom. Three objectives guided the conduct of this study while a descriptive research design was employed. The population for this study was 107 registered students who are active users of the FUTIA Library and have interacted with ChatGPT for information retrieval and support.  The data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to calculate means and standard deviations. Findings show that ChatGPT offers a range of benefits, including accurate responses to user queries (x¯ = 3.54), instant and roundthe-clock availability (x¯ = 3.28), assistance with resource discovery (x¯ = 3.04), and research guidance (x¯ = 2.91). Moreover, the availability of ChatGPT as a virtual assistant for answering queries has proven to be highly advantageous. One of the key strengths of ChatGPT, as revealed by the study, is its ability to save time by providing quick responses. However, the study has also highlighted certain challenges and concerns related to ChatGPT which include: it can sometimes be unreliable (x¯ = 3.51), lacks the emotional intelligence of human librarians (x¯ = 3.41), and, in some cases, may provide deceptive responses (x¯ = 3.14). The study, recommends that libraries should invest in developing more robust personalization features for ChatGPT, strengthen their data privacy and security measures to ensure that interactions with ChatGPT are confidential and protected.