Abstract:

The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence into everyday digital services is increasing the competence demands placed on adult learners. Learners in lifelong learning contexts may encounter a combination of long-standing ICT-related barriers and AI-specific challenges, including calibrated trust, verifiability, and safety concerns. This study examines the barriers and facilitators shaping the uptake of AI-enabled technologies in lifelong learning and interprets these experiences through a multi-level adaptation framework encompassing psychological, socio-contextual, and techno-ethical determinants. The study adopted an empirical qualitative design based on semi-structured interviews with participants engaged in university-based continuing education. Data were analysed using a directed thematic approach informed by the conceptual framework, complemented by inductive coding to capture emergent themes. Interpretive trustworthiness was supported through a transparent audit trail and reflexive analytic documentation. The findings highlight five salient barriers: anxiety and fear of making mistakes; linguistic and cognitive demands of interfaces and instructions; access and authentication challenges; the need for calibrated trust and routine verification of AI outputs; and privacy concerns alongside perceived vulnerability to fraud. Key facilitators included readily available human support, practical step-by-step learning with opportunities for repetition, and clearly perceived usefulness for everyday tasks and independent living. The study contributes to adult education research by demonstrating that AI uptake in lifelong learning is shaped not merely by motivation, but by surrounding support ecologies and accessibility conditions. These results offer evidence-based implications for the design of adult learning interventions and enabling ecosystems that strengthen readiness for the integration of AI-enabled technologies.

Keywords:

Digital literacy, lifelong learning, artificial intelligence, AI literacy, digital exclusion, barriers, facilitators.