The adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, in higher education presents numerous opportunities and challenges. The use of GAI technologies in various fields, including education, has accelerated as technology develops. The widely used language model ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, has become progressively more important, especially in the field of education. This study employs the technology acceptance model to investigate the factors influencing the employment of ChatGPT within the higher education sector of Pakistan. This study employed the PLS-SEM method for probing data collected from 368 Pakistani university students. The findings indicate that ChatGPT trust positively mediates the affiliation between ChatGPT self-efficacy, ChatGPT actual use, ChatGPT use for information and ChatGPT use for interaction. Further, ChatGPT usefulness and ChatGPT ease of use significantly moderate the association between ChatGPT self-efficacy and ChatGPT trust. Educators must encourage students to use ChatGPT safely to preserve their critical thinking, problem-solving abilities and creativity during assessments. This study contributes to understanding generative AI tools such as ChatGPT that are used in educational settings and provides insights for administrators and policymakers aiming to implement these technologies effectively.