Artificial intelligence anxiety, digital well-being, and future career concerns among engineering and information technology students in Jordan

Introduction The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming educational and employment landscapes, generating increasing psychological concerns among students in technology-intensive fields. This study examines AI-related anxiety, digital well-being, and career uncertainty among engineering and information technology (IT) students, with a focus on their prevalence, interrelationships, and demographic variations. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed using a structured survey administered to 820 undergraduate students from four Jordanian universities. Standardized measures were used to assess AI anxiety, digital well-being, and career-related concerns. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and group comparisons based on gender and academic discipline. Results The findings indicated elevated levels of AI anxiety ( M = 5.26, SD = 0.32), low levels of digital well-being ( M = 1.75, SD = 0.20), and moderate levels of career concerns ( M = 4.07, SD = 0.34). AI anxiety was strongly negatively correlated with digital well-being ( r = −0.849, p < 0.01) and positively correlated with career concerns ( r = 0.680, p < 0.01). Female students reported significantly higher AI anxiety and career concerns than male students ( p < 0.001). Additionally, IT students exhibited higher levels of AI anxiety and career uncertainty compared to engineering students ( p < 0.001). Discussion These findings highlight the psychological impact of AI integration on students, emphasizing the need for targeted AI literacy programs, digital well-being interventions, and career guidance strategies. Addressing gender disparities and discipline-specific differences is essential to enhance students’ resilience, adaptability, and readiness for an AI-driven labor market.