Learning with responsible AI: perceptions and experiences of learners

What adult learners told us about using a responsible AI chatbot on an online professional course.

Generative AI is showing up in more learning environments, but far less is known about how adult professionals actually experience it when it is designed to be transparent, curriculum-grounded and ethically constrained. This paper reports qualitative research from the SAGE-RAI project — a partnership between The Open University’s Knowledge Media Institute and the Open Data Institute.

We interviewed learners on an online professional course who used an AI chatbot built with the SAGE-RAI framework. Thematic analysis surfaced three themes:

• AI as a learning enabler — learners valued efficiency, accessibility and greater autonomy in how they studied.
• The human–AI partnership — the chatbot worked best as a companion to human teaching, not a replacement for it.
• Boundaries, ethics and responsible use — learners were alert to limits, trust and when to rely on people rather than the tool.

The study offers practical guidance for designing AI learning tools that complement tutors, build trust and keep ethical awareness in view — including governance and professional development that embed transparency, accountability and inclusivity.

Publication details

Mikroyannidis, A.; Kwarteng, J.; Third, A.; Domingue, J. and Tarrant, D. (2026). Learning with Responsible AI: Perceptions and Experiences of Learners in Online Professional Education. In: 20th International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED 2026), 2–4 March 2026, Valencia, Spain.

Download the accepted manuscript (PDF) · View on DOI · SAGE-RAI publications

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