Middle School Students’ Metaphorical Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence

This study aims to examine middle school students’ awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) and their metaphorical perceptions of it. The research was conducted with 88 students enrolled in a middle school in western Türkiye. Using a qualitative research design, the study employed content analysis, and students were asked to respond to three questions: Have you ever heard of artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence is like … because … and What is the role of artificial intelligence in educational processes?Findings revealed that 82.9% of the students reported prior knowledge of AI, with teachers (25%), family members (21.6%), and the Internet (18.2%) being the main sources of information. Students’ metaphorical perceptions were grouped under five themes: mind/brain, machine/technology, helper/supportive element, power/control, and danger/risk. The most frequent metaphor was the brain (27%), followed by robots (19%) and teachers (12%). Overall, students tended to conceptualize AI as a tool that facilitates daily life, accelerates access to information, and supports learning, while fewer associated it with negative connotations, such as dangerous but useful or addictive.The findings indicate that in the Turkish context, students’ AI awareness develops mainly through teacher-centered interactions, their understanding is shaped by concrete analogies, and their awareness of the ethical dimensions of AI remains limited. These results suggest that AI literacy programs should include systematic teaching of abstract concepts, address the digital divide, and introduce ethical aspects of AI from early educational stages.