Understanding user trust in artificial intelligence‐based educational systems: Evidence from China

Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) has penetrated the field of education. Trust has long been regarded as a driver for the acceptance of technology. Netnography and interviews were used to investigate trust in AI‐based educational systems from the perspective of users. We identified the factors influencing trust in AI‐based educational systems and categorized them as being related to technology, context and individual. Technology‐related factors encompass functionality, helpfulness, interpretability, dependability and interaction interface. Context‐related factors encompass benevolence of educational organizations, data management, teachers’ competencies, official norms and knowledge characteristics. Individual‐related factors encompass perception of the nature of learning, propensity to interact with teachers, perception of AI and autonomy orientation. The results from this paper will contribute to the literature on trust in technology and AI ethics in education.