Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in art and design education, yet little is known about how students in resource-constrained contexts experience AI as part of interior design studio practice. This study investigates how AI tools shape perceptions of learning quality, creativity and future professional prospects among 246 interior design students at An-Najah National University, Palestine. Drawing on technology acceptance theory (TAM/UTAUT) and a philosophical view of design as hybrid cognition, the study conceptualizes perceived benefits and challenges as key drivers of students' expectations about AI in studio learning. A survey instrument was developed to measure benefits, challenges and future prospects, and its psychometric quality was confirmed (KMO = 0.91; three-factor structure supported by EFA/CFA with good fit indices). Descriptive analyses showed that students reported positive perceptions of AI's benefits (M = 3.70) and future prospects (M = 3.53), alongside moderate–low concern about challenges (M = 2.55). Hierarchical regression indicated that perceived benefits strongly predict future prospects (β = 0.72), while challenges have a smaller negative effect (β = −0.13; Adjusted R² = .52). These findings suggest that anticipated creative enhancement and professional competitiveness, rather than ease-of-use alone, underpin AI acceptance in interior design studios. The article discusses implications for studio pedagogy, arguing for curricular strategies that foreground creative agency, critical reflection and ethical awareness when integrating AI into art and design education, particularly in settings marked by economic and infrastructural constraints.

Title

Higher Education

Publisher

frontiersin

Publisher Country

Switzerland

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

1.9

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

11

Year

2026

Pages

1-9