The Role of AI Self-Efficacy in Religious Contexts in Public Sector: The Social Cognitive Theory Perspective

This study seeks to examine the relationship between religious tour operators' AI-tech trust and Intent to adopt AI decisions through AI self-efficacy. This study also aims to find out the role of AI Chatbots as a moderator in the relationship between the tour operators' AI-tech trust and AI self-efficacy as well as the relationship between tour operators' AI self-efficacy and Intent to adopt AI decisions. This study sample was 182 participants who are leaders of different tourist operators registered with the government of Pakistan and provide religious tour services to the general public to make religious tours to the holy Muslim cities of Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. The results provided evidence that AI-tech trust had a significant influence on AI self-efficacy which, in turn, generated a relevant effect on Intent to adopt AI decisions. Moreover, the findings of this study also indicated that AI Chabot to moderate the link between tour operators' AI-tech trust and AI self-efficacy as well as between AI self-efficacy and intent to adopt AI decisions was also proven to be significant.