Within the European project Future Forward, focus groups have played a central role in gathering ideas and perspectives on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in adult education. The meetings, held in Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, and Germany, brought together teachers, trainers, and experts with the aim of validating two key project tools: the Use Case Animations, short videos showing practical applications of AI in everyday life, and the MOOC, an open online course designed to develop basic digital skills and promote a conscious, critical use of AI.
Key Insights from Partner Countries
- Spain (Universitat de València): participants highlighted the importance of simple yet accurate videos that encourage critical thinking while showcasing both the risks and opportunities of AI. A stronger focus on ethics and digital citizenship was also proposed.
- Italy (Learnable): the group stressed the need for clear, jargon-free language and suggested an introductory in-person session to support learners with lower digital skills. A new topic was also proposed: AI applied to personalized nutrition.
- Bulgaria (Budakov Films): the discussion focused on practical applications such as real-time translation, travel planning, and online safety. Participants emphasized the importance of plain language and building trust in the use of AI.
- Germany (Berlink ETN GmbH, Berlin): experts insisted on short, visual, and realistic videos, with practical examples such as document summarization and data extraction from PDFs. For the MOOC, they proposed including hands-on “prompt engineering” activities and self-assessment tools to track progress, reinforcing learner confidence and critical thinking.
Conclusions
These exchanges have provided the project with diverse yet complementary perspectives, offering concrete guidance on how to make AI learning inclusive, practical, and accessible to all adults, regardless of their level of digital competence.
Thanks to the participants’ contributions, Future Forward will be able to design training tools that are closely aligned with real learners’ needs, supporting the growth of European citizens who are more aware, critical, and ready to seize the opportunities of artificial intelligence in both their daily lives and professional contexts.
