Conceptualizing pre-service teachers’ artificial intelligence readiness and examining its relationship with various variables: The role of artificial intelligence literacy, digital citizenship, artificial intelligence-enhanced innovation and perceived threats from artificial intelligence

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a new field that leads to change and transformation in the field of education. As AI technologies develop, it becomes more important to investigate these new technologies as a subject to be included in educational levels. The contribution of AI to success in educational settings is closely linked to the preparation of teachers. On the other hand, AI is an important concept that should be learnt by all students regardless of their educational level. Therefore, it is important to understand how prepared future teachers are for AI learning to ensure the effective implementation of AI in schools. Furthermore, addressing the perceived threats and digital citizenship levels arising from the use of emerging AI-based technologies requires individuals to have effective AI-related knowledge, skills and values. The aim of this study is to reveal the relationship between pre-service teachers’ AI readiness levels and various variables. These variables are perceived threats from AI, AI-enhanced innovation, AI literacy, digital citizenship. A total of 816 pre-service teachers participated in the study. PLS-SEM was used to evaluate the relationships between the research variables. In addition, Multigroup Analysis (MGA) was applied to model sub-samples according to gender. It was found that AI-enhanced innovation levels were significantly affected by the dimensions of AI readiness: cognition, vision and ethics in teaching. Perceived threats from AI level was significantly affected by ability and ethics in teaching, which are the dimensions of AI readiness. Perceived threats from AI levels had a significant effect on AI literacy. AI-enhanced innovation was found to have a significant effect on AI literacy and digital citizenship. In addition, differences were found according to gender. The results of this study can also guide pre-professional development programs to be developed for pre-service teachers, which is an important factor to be considered in AI education.