Data Set Article:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a fundamental framework of modern social media, influencing exposure, attention, and engagement via opaque algorithmic processes. Although previous studies predominantly elucidate the reasons behind user acceptance of AI-based platforms, there has been insufficient focus on how this adoption evolves into significant and impactful involvement, especially among Gen Z, who are inherently familiar with algorithms. This study redefines visual literacy as a manifestation of user agency in AI-mediated communication contexts. This study expands the UTAUT2 framework by framing visual literacy not just as a result of usage but as a cultural competency that influences the manifestation of behavioral intention and algorithmic engagement. A cross-sectional survey of 726 university students from ten Indonesian universities, analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), reveals that AI-social engagement (β = 0.175, p = 0.001) and behavioral intention (β = 0.155, p = 0.003) significantly improve visual literacy, with habit identified as the most potent predictor of both intention (β = 0.243, p