These children can become independent thanks to artificial intelligence! – A qualitative analysis of pre‑service teachers’ views on the use of artificial intelligence in special education

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational settings has accelerated in recent years, with growing implications for special education. However, the perceptions and evaluations of pre-service special education teachers, who will deliver AI-supported instruction in the near future, remain insufficiently examined. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to interpret the meanings that prospective special education teachers attribute to the use of AI in special education and to articulate the structures of significance through which those meanings are organized in their accounts. METHODS: Employing an interpretive phenomenological design, we conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 14 pre-service teachers who had previously participated in artificial intelligence-based courses and projects. Content analysis of the data yielded four themes: (a) Teacher, (b) Child and Family, (c) Education, and (d) Artificial Intelligence and Future. RESULTS: Findings indicate that participants conceptualized AI not merely as a tool perceived to individualize instructional processes, but also as a potential agent perceived to transform pedagogical roles. Participants articulated the view that AI could support critical domains for learners with special needs, such as independent living skills, social interaction, and decision-making, while also questioning risks such as social isolation, data privacy, dependency, and ethical uncertainty. CONCLUSION: The participants' accounts collectively suggest a need for ethics-driven AI literacy in special education that foregrounds critical thinking and person-centered support.