Artificial intelligence and social inequalities among library science students at UNED Costa Rica
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64183/zdyepm43Keywords:
Library Science, Distance Education, Artificial Intelligence, Digital DivideAbstract
To analyze how access to and use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools contributes to the reproduction or reduction of social inequalities among Library Science students at the Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) in Costa Rica. A mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) descriptive design was employed. A structured 35-item questionnaire, comprising Likert scales, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions, was administered to 25 students enrolled in the Library Science diploma program’s Information Processing course during the first semester of 2026, using non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Although 92 % of students have used AI tools, the data reveal stark territorial disparities: 33 % of those residing outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) must travel to obtain stable internet access, compared with 0 % within the GAM. Furthermore, 44.4 % of rural students reported recurring technical difficulties. Sixty percent expressed distrust of AI reliability, 64 % had detected fabricated bibliographic references, and 40 % stated they would accept AI-generated information without critical verification. AI functions as an amplifier of pre-existing structural inequalities, geographic, socioeconomic, and gender-based, rather than a leveler. Achieving equity demands institutional policiesthat ensure adequate infrastructure, critical digital literacy, and intentional pedagogical integration, beyond the mere provision of technological access.
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