Artificial intelligence, financial services knowledge, government support, and user innovativeness: Exploring the moderated-mediated path to fintech adoption

Based upon an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study aims to investigate the impact of financial services knowledge, familiarity with the use of artificial intelligence, government support, and user innovativeness on Fintech adoption from the perspective of university students. Furthermore, the study also aims to investigate the mediating role of user innovativeness in this relationship. A cross-sectional, survey-based method was used to collect data from 410 university students. Structural equation modeling was implied to examine the research framework of the study. The findings confirm that financial services knowledge, familiarity with artificial intelligence, government support, and user innovativeness have a direct positive impact on Fintech adoption among university students. The results also show that perceived ease of use slightly moderates the relationship between government support and user innovativeness. Meanwhile, results from the mediation analysis reveal an indirect effect of these variables on Fintech adoption through user innovativeness. The study's findings recommend practical suggestions to academic institutes and Fintech service providers to equip university students with the necessary financial knowledge and familiarity with artificial intelligence across various disciplines, which can be achieved through sufficient government support. All these can potentially revolutionize Fintech services adoption and boost economic growth, specifically in Asia-Pacific developing countries. The study identifies the key antecedents that affect the student's decision to adopt Fintech. It widens the scope of Fintech adoption by considering the university students who may serve as the future managers for the nation. It provides nuanced evidence on the role of financial services knowledge and familiarity with the use of artificial intelligence on the intention to adopt Fintech among university students in Asia-Pacific developing countries like Pakistan.