BEYOND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: PARENTS’ USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CONTEXTS OF SOCIAL MARGINALITY

Carmen Lucia Moccia

Abstract


Artificial intelligence (AI) can widen access to information, services and education, but technology availability alone does not ensure digital equity: inequalities also concern quality of access, skills and the critical use of digital tools, especially in marginalised contexts. This study reports the first exploratory phase of a project to develop and validate a questionnaire on parents’ relationship with digital technologies and AI. Based on the literature, it examines access, perceived digital competence, familiarity with AI, perceived risks and opportunities, and willingness to use AI for work, parenting and daily life. It was administered to 79 parents recruited via educational and social organisations in a deprived area of northern Naples. Descriptive, reliability, non-parametric and correlational analyses revealed a selective, context-dependent openness to AI, shaped by prior experience and available resources. Inclusive AI literacy fostering critical thinking is recommended.


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32043/gsd.v10i4.1992

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