MUHAMMAD JAVAID TOOR, DR. SHAFIA BABER, PROF. DR. MUHAMMAD SARWAR, FAROOQ IQBAL
DOI: https://doi.org/The aim of paper in hand was to explore AI - second language learners’ perception about the digital identity persistence at university level in Pakistan. It was qualitative research based on survey design in nature and it was conducted in Lahore, Punjab Pakistan. Data were collected from 77 randomly selected second language learners of public and privates universities who were enrolled in the academic session of 2024 - 2026 via conducting interviews. Structured interview protocol/guide was developed to conduct face to face and online interviews. The collected data were thematically analyzed by reading written answers and listening to the recorded data from the respondents to obtain an overall understanding of its content, patterns, and meanings for developing, to intimate and comprehensive awareness of the dataset. Codes were designated to identify segments of data to meet the research objectives. After analysis it explored that AI - second language learners were using variety of digital AI- powered tools as chatbots, Doulingo, Google Translate, whatsApp, quillbot, Memrise, Deepl, and Babbel for language learning. AI recognized users by their digital identity awareness in the form of email ID, saving history, login account detail, backend storing data, and privacy implication on platform. It was concluded that according to most of the respondents digital identity persistence their digital identity by their credential, cookies, data storage, questions in the last session and developing conceptual model linking AI usage. It was also explored that second language users have experience of using multiple AI platforms for learning and they experience that each AI platform has different ability to recognize their identity. Therefore, it is recommended that universities may organize training and workshop to educate AI- assisted second language learners so that they use appropriate language platform and addresses the awareness about digital identity.
