The work aims to investigate the acceptance and usage intention of AI painting tools among students in design departments of Chinese higher education. By extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model with the inclusion of individual innovativeness and AI anxiety, key variables influencing students' adoption behavior were researched and identified. The results indicated that individual innovativeness significantly and positively influenced performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and behavioral intention, suggesting that students with higher openness to new technologies were more likely to hold stronger expectations regarding the performance and usability of AI painting tools. In contrast, AI anxiety exerted a significant negative effect on effort expectancy and behavioral intention, implying that heightened anxiety toward AI might inhibit students' willingness to adopt such tools. Furthermore, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions were found to positively affect behavioral intention, underscoring their critical roles in the technology acceptance process. However, social influence did not show a significant effect on behavioral intention, suggesting that in the context of AI painting tools, external social pressure or support was not a decisive factor. Additionally, an analysis of variance revealed that students with higher educational levels tended to express more positive attitudes toward the use of AI painting tools. These findings support the validity of the extended UTAUT model and emphasize the significance of individual innovativeness in IT and AI anxiety in influencing students' acceptance of AI technologies, providing practical implications for the integration of AI tools in design education.