This study aims to examine the impact of university students’ motivations for social media use (information seeking, socialization, entertainment, and identity formation) on their intentions to use artificial intelligence (AI)-powered learning tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot. Designed within the framework of the technology acceptance model (TAM), the research addresses the mediating role of perceived utility and the moderating role of digital literacy. The study aims to contribute to the literature by understanding how social media habits evolve into academic technology adoption processes. This research, based on a sample of 370 university students, investigates the relationship between various social media motivations (social connection/FOMO, popularity/identity formation, appearance/impression management, and civic/advocacy) and behavioral intention (BI) to use AI learning tools. Perceived usefulness (PU) is included as a mediating variable in this relationship. Results from regression-based mediation analyses (PROCESS Model 4 equivalent) indicate that social media use motivations significantly predict both PU and BI. The indirect effect through PU was statistically significant (ab = 0.248, SE = 0.062, z = 3.988, p < .001), supporting a partial mediation model. Civic/advocacy motivations demonstrated the strongest relationship with PU and BI among subscales. These findings advance understanding of technology adoption in educational contexts and highlight the role of social media usage patterns in shaping AI tool adoption.