As technology becomes increasingly prevalent in education, artificial intelligence (AI) tools like Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) have emerged as significant resources in academic settings. In this context, parents and educators play a crucial role in ensuring students effectively use these tools while maintaining high motivation and academic success. To explore this relationship, this study employed a descriptive-comparative-correlational design to assess the level of learning motivation, the perceived impact of ChatGPT as an academic assistance tool, and the academic performance of senior high school students at Saint Mary’s University. By utilizing a mixed-method approach, the research combined quantitative data gathered via a Likert scale with qualitative insights from an open-ended question. Specifically, a purposive sampling technique was used to select 229 senior high school students. Analysis of the data revealed that students were motivated in their studies and perceived ChatGPT’s impact positively as an academic assistance tool. Moreover, notable variations were observed in learning motivation across different sexes and levels of educational proficiency, as well as in the perceived impact of ChatGPT relative to educational proficiency levels. Furthermore, a moderately low positive correlation was found between learning motivation and academic performance, while very low correlations were noted between ChatGPT’s perceived impact and both academic performance and learning motivation. However, the study has limitations due to its small sample size and the uneven distribution of participants across various strands and tracks and proficiency levels, which affected the generalizability of the results. Future researchers should address these limitations for a more comprehensive understanding of the topic. Ultimately, the findings provide a foundation for developing educational strategies and targeted interventions involving parents in boosting student motivation and academic performance.