Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Potential, Ethical Challenges, and Implications for Adult Education

Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence into learning environments has garnered increasing attention within higher education, while simultaneously necessitating comprehensive examination of its role in continuing education and lifelong learning. The adoption of AI technologies opens new avenues for improving accessibility and innovating teaching practices, yet it raises substantial ethical, regulatory, and epistemological concerns influencing learning processes. Despite AI’s potential to reduce barriers to participation, the lack of inclusive implementation strategies risks deepening the digital divide, disproportionately affecting low-skilled workers who urgently need skill development to navigate changing labor markets. This paradox underscores the complexity of digital inclusion, where technological advances alone are insufficient without parallel efforts in social policy and equitable access. When embedded within inclusive continuing education frameworks, these technologies present strategic opportunities for timely alignment of educational offers with emergent learner and the world of work requirements, augmenting relevance for employability and personalization. Nonetheless, critical challenges persist, including data privacy, security, transparency, and bias risks, complicated by “black box AI” phenomena characterized by opaque algorithmic decision-making that undermines accountability and justifiability in educational decisions. Adopting a comprehensive multidisciplinary perspective, this work critically unpacks these dynamics, illuminating the intricate interrelations between AI and learning, while contributing to discourse on responsible, reflective AI deployment. Finally, it proposes conceptualizing AI integration as a “dialogic device,” with potential to cultivate critical citizenship and educational responsibility, contingent on harmonized progress in technological innovation, social dialogue, and rights safeguards.