Artificial intelligence, value formation, and digital identity in the 21st century: A comparative study of university students in Azerbaijan and Turkiye

Abstract

Mo dernization and digital security are fundamentally reshaping human values. While it was once thought that technology would simply erase religion, the digital age has instead created a “network society” where identity is no longer a given, but a constant, precarious project. In this landscape, AI and algorithms curate our reality into “information cocoons” that favor like-mindedness over diversity. This shift doesn’t just change how we socialize; it threatens democratic debate and the very autonomy we use to form our own moral compass. The aim of this study was to empirically investigate the relationship between digital literacy, religious centrality, and environmental values among university students in Azerbaijan and Turkiye. The research employed a quantitative design with a sample of 102 university students, including 33 from Azerbaijan and 69 from Turkiye. Data collection involved three primary instruments: the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, the Digital Literacy Scale, and the Environmental Portrait Value Questionnaire. Reliability analysis confirmed high internal consistency for all sections. Pearson correlation results demonstrated a statistically significant moderate positive relationship between Section 1 and Section 2 (r = 0.317, p = 0.001), and a significant moderate positive relationship between Section 2 and Section 3 (r = 0.474, p < 0.001). However, the correlation between Section 1 and Section 3 was weak and not statistically significant (r = 0.101, p = 0.311). In terms of regional variations, the correlation between Section 1 and Section 2 was notably higher for the Azerbaijani group (r = 0.514, p = 0.002) compared to the Turkish group (r = 0.254, p = 0.035). Comparative t-tests revealed no statistically significant differences between students in Azerbaijan and Turkiye regarding the mean scores of Section 1 (p = 0.44), Section 2 (p = 0.20), or Section 3 (p = 0.92). The study concludes that digital literacy functions as a significant mediator in the perception of both religious and environmental values. The findings suggest that technological proficiency does not necessarily erode religious centrality but instead coexists with it, particularly in the Azerbaijani context. The lack of significant differences between the two countries implies a homogenization of value perceptions among university students under the influence of globalized digital networks.