Employment counselors´ attitudes toward AI implementation : the impact of direct experience

Abstract

This qualitative case study investigates how direct experience with artificial intelligence (AI) tools shapes employment counselors' attitudes toward AI integration in public employment services. The research examines nine employment counselors at Iceland's Directorate of Labour through the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to understand the relationship between hands-on AI use and professional acceptance patterns.The study employed an intervention-based study design featuring pre- and postimplementation interviews. Counselors initially discussed their perceptions of AI, then integrated AI tools into their counseling practice for two weeks before participating in followup interviews. Thematic analysis revealed notable attitude transformations following direct AI experience.Findings indicate that counselors perceived AI tools as highly accessible and useful across three dimensions: administrative efficiency, counseling quality enhancement, and professional development support. Most participants expressed strong intentions for continued AI use, with direct experience generally transforming initial uncertainty into adoption enthusiasm. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, counselors conceptualized AI tools as collaborative assistants that could augment their professional capabilities while preserving essential human elements of counseling relationships.The investigation suggests that experiential learning may play a more meaningful role in professional technology adoption than traditional pre-use attitude formation models predict. However, the study's context-specific nature, involving volunteer counselors in Iceland's digitally advanced public administration, limits broader generalizability. The results contribute to understanding AI adoption in professional counseling contexts while highlighting the importance of implementation approach in shaping professional attitudes toward emerging technologies.These results have implications for AI implementation strategies in human service organizations, suggesting that structured experimentation opportunities may facilitate more successful technology integration than conventional training approaches.Keywords: Artificial intelligence, Employment counseling, Public administration, Technology Acceptance Model, Professional attitudes, Public service