The Impact of AI on Learners’ Self-Efficacy: A Meta-Analysis

With the rise of generative artificial intelligence, the application of AI in learning environments has received widespread attention. Although empirical studies have explored the effect of AI on self-efficacy, the results have not been consistent. This study conducted a meta-analysis on the results from 23 empirical studies on the impact of AI use on self-efficacy. These studies were published between January 2005 and February 2025 and indexed in one or more of the three major educational research databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC. The results indicated that AI had a significant positive impact on self-efficacy in learning contexts (effect size of 0.758). Specifically, discipline (Q = 10.348, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and the specific role played by AI (Q = 3.991, <i>p</i> < 0.05) significantly moderated the effect of AI on self-efficacy. In our discussion, suggestions are provided for enhancing learner self-efficacy and improving the effectiveness of AI in the learning contexts.