Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Popular Culture among Youths in Eket

This study analysed the influence of artificial intelligence on popular culture among Eket's youths. The objectives of the study are to: find out the extent to which youths in Eket use AI; examine whether AI influences the adoption of pop culture among youths in Eket; discover the extent to which AI influences the adoption of pop culture among youths in Eket; assess the other factors that influence the adoption of pop culture among youths in Eket aside AI. The Uses and Gratifications Theory and Individual Differences Theory were adopted. The mixed method design was adopted. The population projected by the researchers in 2024 is 89,591 youths, and the sample size is 398 using the convenience sampling technique. The findings indicate that the main users of AI among the people of Eket are the youths, as a larger portion of them use AI technologies many times a day. The study also finds that AI influences the adoption of pop culture among youths in Eket: a substantial proportion believe that AI has a high or complete influence on their behaviour and preferences regarding the adoption of pop culture. As such, apart from AI, social media platforms, and fashion trends remain the most prevailing factors that drive pop culture adoption among youths in Eket. The study thus calls on content developers, marketers, and policy-returned leaders to seize the momentum of AI popularity, social media platforms, and fashion trends by creating appropriate content toward their interests and preferences to effect positive cultural change among young people in Eket. The study, therefore, recommends that policymakers consider designing campaigns that help young people recognize and analyze the different types of pop culture content critically for responsible cultural practices.