By Lilian H. Hill
Generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, or Co-Pilot are quickly becoming part of the everyday digital landscape. Generative AI refers to systems that can produce new content: text, images, audio, video—based on patterns learned from vast datasets. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DALL·E can generate human-like responses, summarize complex ideas, or create original examples in seconds. Using these tools, a teacher can quickly produce tailored practice materials, conversational prompts, or real-world scenarios aligned to learners’ needs. For adult educators, these technologies present both exciting opportunities and important questions about how they can—and should—be integrated into teaching and learning. Used thoughtfully, GenAI can become a powerful partner in creating richer, more personalized, and more engaging educational experiences.
Why GenAI is Applicable to Adult Education
Adult learners often bring a wealth of prior knowledge, diverse life experiences, and specific goals to the classroom. The table below links ways that incorporating GenAI tools in instruction relates to the principles of andragogy (Adarkwah, 2024):
|
Principle of Andragogy |
GenAI Tools in Instruction |
|
Personalized, self-directed learning |
Adults typically bring diverse backgrounds, experiences, and learning goals. GenAI tools can tailor explanations, examples, and practice materials to individual needs, supporting self-paced and self-directed learning. |
|
Immediate relevance and application |
Adult learners often seek education that directly connects to their careers, personal growth, or problem-solving in daily life. GenAI can generate context-specific resources, simulations, or writing support aligned with real-world tasks. |
|
Flexibility and accessibility |
Many adults balance education with jobs, families, and other responsibilities. GenAI offers on-demand tutoring, feedback, and content generation, making learning more flexible and accessible. |
|
Support for diverse skill levels |
Adult classrooms can vary widely in terms of prior knowledge, literacy levels, or digital skills. GenAI adapts dynamically, providing scaffolded explanations for beginners and advanced insights for experienced learners. |
|
Enhancement of critical thinking and creativity |
Adults often bring rich experiences that allow them to critique and expand on generated outputs. GenAI serves as a partner in brainstorming, reflection, and creative problem-solving rather than just a source of answers. |
|
Lifelong learning orientation |
Adult education emphasizes continuous learning beyond formal degrees. GenAI supports this by offering lifelong, personalized, and low-cost opportunities for exploration and skill-building. |
Practical Classroom Applications
The most effective use comes when instructors frame GenAI as a support tool, not a replacement—encouraging learners to use outputs as starting points for critical analysis, revision, and discussion. Here are six ways educators can integrate generative tools (Storey & Wagner, 2024):
1. Personalized Learning Assistance: Because adult learners bring different skill levels and backgrounds to the classroom, GenAI can serve as an adaptive learning assistant. Learners can ask the tool to re-explain difficult concepts in simpler terms, provide step-by-step guidance, or create analogies that connect with their professional experiences. In addition, GenAI can generate study aids such as practice quizzes, flashcards, and summaries that align with class content, helping learners prepare more effectively.
2. Writing and Communication Support: Adult learners can use GenAI as a tool for drafting and revising various forms of writing, from essays and reports to professional emails. For those learning English as an additional language, GenAI tools can provide grammar corrections, vocabulary suggestions, and conversational practice. Instructors can then guide learners in refining the AI-generated drafts, turning the process into a valuable exercise in editing and communication.
3. Career and Professional Development: GenAI offers practical applications in career-focused education. Learners can use it to draft resumes, cover letters, or professional profiles, which they can then refine through peer review or instructor feedback. The technology can also simulate job interviews by posing realistic, industry-specific questions, giving learners the opportunity to rehearse their responses in a low-stakes environment before entering the real job market.
4. Critical Thinking and Media Literacy: One powerful use of GenAI in adult education is cultivating critical thinking. Learners can be tasked with analyzing AI-generated content to identify potential bias, inaccuracies, or missing perspectives. They can also engage in fact-checking exercises, comparing the AI’s responses against credible sources. These activities not only strengthen critical evaluation skills but also build media and digital literacy, both of which are essential in today’s information-rich society.
5. Creative Applications: Adult learners can use GenAI to brainstorm project ideas, develop proposals, or solve workplace-related problems in innovative ways. The tool can also support storytelling and reflective writing by generating prompts that help learners articulate personal narratives or professional case studies. In this way, AI fosters both creative expression and deeper engagement with course material.
6. Accessibility and Inclusivity: GenAI can play a crucial role in making learning more accessible for adults with diverse needs. It can simplify complex texts into plain language for learners with lower literacy levels or reframe content in different formats, such as visual diagrams or role-play scenarios, to suit various learning styles. This flexibility helps ensure that all learners, regardless of background, can engage meaningfully with course materials.
Ethical and Pedagogical Considerations
While GenAI tools offer benefits for adult education, their use also raises important ethical and pedagogical concerns that educators must address thoughtfully (Reihanian et al., 2025).
A key issue is accuracy, as these tools are prone to generating responses that may sound authoritative but contain factual errors or incomplete information. These are sometimes referred to as AI hallucinations that can be misleading for students and educators. This makes it essential for both educators and learners to adopt verification practices, such as cross-checking AI outputs with credible sources.
Another concern is bias, since AI systems are trained on vast datasets that may carry historical or cultural stereotypes. If left unexamined, these biases can influence the output and potentially even reinforce inequities.
Equally important is transparency. Learners need to understand not only the capabilities of generative tools but also their limitations, including how they arrive at certain outputs and why their responses should be treated critically rather than accepted at face value.
Finally, assessment integrity presents a pedagogical challenge. Instructors must consider how to design assignments and evaluation strategies that encourage authentic learning while discouraging overreliance on AI-generated content. This may involve clarifying expectations around responsible use, integrating AI literacy into the curriculum, and developing assessments that prioritize process, reflection, and critical thinking alongside final products.
Collectively, these considerations highlight the importance of using GenAI in ways that enhance learning without compromising ethical standards or academic integrity.
Keeping Humans in the Loop
GenAI should not replace the educator. Instead, it should enhance their role. Teachers remain essential for providing context, fostering critical thinking, and building the human connections that are at the heart of learning. By positioning AI as a co-pilot rather than an autopilot, educators can ensure that technology supports, rather than dictates, the learning process. As tools like ChatGPT continue to evolve, adult educators have an opportunity to shape how they are used in ways that promote equity, creativity, and lifelong learning. The key is to remain curious, informed, and willing to experiment—while keeping learners’ needs and goals at the center of the process.
References
Adarkwah, M. A. (2024). GenAI-infused adult learning in the digital era: a conceptual framework for higher education. Adult Learning, 36(3), 149-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595241271161
Reihanian, I., Hou, Y., Chen, Y., Zheng, Y. (2025). A Review of Generative AI in Computer Science Education: Challenges and Opportunities in Accuracy, Authenticity, and Assessment. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/html/2507.11543v1?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Storey, V., & Wagner, A. (2024). Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) Into adult education. International Journal of Adult Education and Technology, 15(1), https://doi.org/10.4018/IJAET.345921
