Lifelong learning in an AI-driven world: assistance, personalization and automation under scrutiny

A scoping review from Frontiers in Education examines the intersection of lifelong learning (LLL) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The study investigates whether AI's promised benefits of assistance, personalization, and automation align with LLL's broader educational, social, and equity goals. It highlights a concern that current AI deployment in education may not adequately address the diverse paradigms, geographical contexts, and vulnerability profiles central to LLL literature.

Why it matters

This analysis is critical for understanding the potential misalignment between technological advancements in AI and the foundational principles of lifelong learning. It emphasizes the need for strategic consideration to ensure AI integration in education genuinely supports equitable and inclusive learning outcomes, rather than exacerbating existing disparities or neglecting specific contexts.

Key insights

• The review focuses on the growing intersection between lifelong learning (LLL) and artificial intelligence (AI).
• It scrutinizes whether AI's promised benefits (assistance, personalization, automation) align with LLL's educational, social, and equity aims.
• A central concern is that AI deployment may not always correspond to the diverse paradigms, geographical contexts, and vulnerability profiles emphasized in LLL literature.
• The methodology involved a scoping review using PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-ScR.
• Two corpora of articles were analyzed: 110 conceptual/empirical articles on LLL and 79 articles.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1916528