Values-Driven AI Framework for Preschool and Elderly Learning in Bulgaria

Abstract

The accelerated integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational settings has intensified debates concerning pedagogical quality, ethical responsibility, and alignment with human values. In Bulgaria, preschool education and elderly learning environments represent socially sensitive domains in which AI technologies may offer benefits such as adaptive learning, improved accessibility, and reduced professional workload, while simultaneously posing risks related to inequity, value erosion, and diminished human oversight. Situated within the context of societal turbulence and shifting value structures examined by COST Action CA24150 Values in Turbulent Times (VISTA), this paper responds to the need for analytical tools capable of evaluating AI’s educational implications without requiring immediate empirical deployment. The study develops a conceptually grounded framework for assessing AI-supported learning environments across early childhood and older-adult education. Drawing on media pedagogy, human–computer interaction, and value-sensitive design, the framework articulates three analytical dimensions: (1) Pedagogical Value Alignment, addressing developmental appropriateness, learner autonomy, curiosity, and educator–learner interaction; (2) Environmental and Relational Value Dynamics, encompassing inclusivity, emotional climate, accessibility, and social cohesion; and (3) Ethical-Systemic Value Integration, focusing on transparency, data protection, fairness, human oversight, and sociocultural contextualization within Bulgarian educational structures. These dimensions synthesize insights from European regulatory frameworks, national policy documents, and prior research on AI literacy, education governance, and generational differences in technology adoption. Rather than measuring outcomes, the framework provides a structured foundation for future experimental, observational, and comparative studies. By embedding value analysis into early-stage AI evaluation, the model supports human-centered technological integration and contributes to VISTA’s broader inquiry into how socio-technological turbulence reshapes educational values.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Human Values, Preschool Education, Elderly Learning, Media Pedagogy, VISTA, Bulgaria

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007311