Research report: Investigating adult learners’ perceptions of artificial intelligence in relation to knowledge, trust, learning outcomes, and workforce preparedness

Rather than measuring adoption rates with surveys, the researcher sat with eight adult learners enrolled in English as a Second Language, Career Technical Education, and high school diploma or equivalency programs, conducting semi-structured interviews over Zoom that lasted between 30 and 50 minutes. The participants spanned diverse age groups, primary languages, and levels of prior experience with AI technologies, offering a window into a population that educational research has largely overlooked. What emerged was a striking paradox.

One learner admitted, "I use Alexa every day but didn't know it was AI until you told me." Another described using ChatGPT to generate bedtime stories for a son without ever thinking of the chatbot as artificial intelligence. The adaptation reflects a growing recognition in the literature that for populations facing structural and social obstacles, technology acceptance is not purely a cognitive calculation but a socially mediated process shaped by instructors, peers, and institutional conditions. The analysis followed Moustakas' phenomenological procedure.

The researcher first practiced epoche, deliberately bracketing personal assumptions about AI in education to minimize bias, then applied horizontalization, treating every significant statement from the transcripts as equally important before condensing them into meaning units and clustering them into themes. From this process, four themes crystallized: understanding AI in everyday life, building confidence and a growth mindset around technology, personalized empowerment through AI, and willingness to learn amid structural barriers. Trustworthiness was reinforced through member checking, in which participants reviewed their transcripts, along with reflexive journaling to document analytic decisions.

The second theme revealed how confidence actually forms. Participants described initial hesitation rooted in limited digital literacy and fear of making mistakes. "I was scared of it at first. But once I used it a few times, I realized it is not that bad," one learner reflected.

Another captured the social dimension of ease of use: "If someone shows me how to use it, I feel better. On my own, I get frustrated." This finding challenges the assumption that ease of use is a property of software design alone. For adult learners, perceived ease of use was socially constructed, built through instructor guidance, peer support, and low-stakes opportunities to experiment.

Confidence, in other words, is not downloaded; it is scaffolded. Once confidence took root, AI transformed from a novelty into a personalized learning partner. Participants praised tools like Grammarly and Google Translate for offering judgment-free practice, a benefit that proved especially powerful for English language learners. "I like that I can use Grammarly or Google Translate and not feel embarrassed if I make a mistake," one participant said.

Another compared ChatGPT to a tutor who adjusts to the learner: "ChatGPT explains things in a way I understand. It's like having a tutor who adjusts to me." The tools also extended learning beyond classroom hours. "It helps when I'm working at night or early in the morning. I do not have to wait for help," one learner explained, underscoring how AI's always-on availability fits the unpredictable schedules of adults juggling employment, caregiving, and coursework.

Yet enthusiasm collided with structural reality. Others felt overwhelmed by the pace of technological change layered on top of foundational computer skills they were still acquiring. Privacy concerns and uncertainty about how the systems work added further hesitation.

The result was a persistent gap between willingness and opportunity: learners consistently expressed a desire to engage with AI if someone would simply show them where to start. Without structured instruction, the study suggests, AI integration risks reinforcing existing inequities rather than closing them, particularly for learners from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or those with interrupted educational histories. The findings also carry implications for workforce preparedness, though the author is careful about the causal chain.

The study did not measure direct employment outcomes; instead, it found that AI use supported foundational academic skills, writing proficiency, and digital confidence, competencies that modern workplaces increasingly demand. Michel frames this as a developmental pathway: AI first builds educational readiness, which then becomes the foundation for workforce participation in technology-driven labor markets. Within the adapted TAM framework, trust emerged as a prerequisite for perceived usefulness, meaning learners were unlikely to view AI tools as beneficial at all unless they first felt confident in their accuracy and fairness.

The study's limitations are explicit. Eight participants drawn from a single region of Southern California cannot statistically represent the world's adult learners, and recruitment through educator referrals may have selected for learners already somewhat interested in technology. The snapshot design also captures perceptions at a single moment, early in what may be a long evolution of awareness and trust.

Subject of Research: Adult learners' perceptions, trust, and barriers regarding artificial intelligence use in adult education

Article Title: Investigating adult learners’ perceptions of artificial intelligence in relation to knowledge, trust, learning outcomes, and workforce preparedness

Article References: Michel, F. (2026). Investigating adult learners’ perceptions of artificial intelligence in relation to knowledge, trust, learning outcomes, and workforce preparedness. Discover Education, 5(1), Article 913. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-026-02134-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s44217-026-02134-0

Keywords: artificial intelligence, adult education, technology acceptance model, digital literacy, AI trust, workforce readiness, ESL learners, qualitative research, educational technology, lifelong learning, AI literacy, Southern California