Artificial Intelligence in Gifted STEAM Education

This qualitative study explores how primary and secondary educators perceive the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in gifted STEAM education within mixed-ability classrooms. This study examines how AI is framed as a pedagogical tool for creativity, differentiation, and inclusion. Educators recognized AI's potential to inspire imaginative engagement and support individualized learning but voiced concerns about student dependency, weakened collaboration, and reduced critical inquiry. Findings reveal ambivalence: AI is seen both as a creative ally and a pedagogical risk. Meaningful integration depends less on technology itself and more on socio-pedagogical frameworks, teacher expertise, curricular fit, and ethical awareness. The study calls for reflective, critically literate approaches to AI in gifted education, challenging techno-optimistic narratives and emphasizing the relational dimensions of teaching and learning.