The Impact of the Use of Artificial Intelligence–Generated Materials on Reading Motivation Among EFL Learners

ABSTRACT Reading motivation is critical in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Therefore, insufficient reading motivation leads to several problems concerning the learners' reading development. One of the strategies to maintain and boost learners' motivation is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into language teaching practices. One way to achieve this is to utilize their function of material development. However, the research investigating the impact of such tools on learners' reading motivation is quite limited, both on a global scale and in the context of Türkiye. Therefore, this study attempts to reveal the potential benefits of AI as a tool for material development and its impact on reading motivation. It also attempts to investigate Turkish EFL learners' reading motivation and to compare the impact of traditional materials with AI‐generated ones. This quasi‐experimental study was conducted with 30 participants, and the Motivation for Reading in English Questionnaire (MREQ), was used to collect data. The overall findings revealed that AI‐generated materials significantly enhanced learners' reading motivation. However, traditional textbook materials did not lead to any improvement. As a result, the findings suggest that teachers should find an effective way to integrate AI tools into their teaching practices to support their learners and possibly maintain and increase their motivation.