The Impact of Perceived Helpfulness of Artificial Intelligence Services on the Perception of AI Technology among Individuals with Physical and Brain Disabilities: The Mediating Role of Social Capital

This study aims to analyze the degree of assistance AI services provide to individuals with physical and brain disabilities, their awareness of AI technology, and their level of social capital, while empirically examining the relationships among these variables through the mediating effect of social capital. From the 2023 Digital Information Gap Survey targeting people with disabilities, 1,614 valid responses out of 2,200 were analyzed. Results showed that younger individuals, those with less severe disabilities, and those with higher education and income levels perceived greater help from AI services. The 21–40 age group had the most positive perception of AI technology, which also increased with education and income. Bonding social capital was highest among those aged 21–40, while bridging social capital was highest among those under 20. Both types of social capital were stronger in individuals with higher education and income. Perceived helpfulness of AI services positively influenced AI technology awareness via bonding and then bridging social capital. Future research should further explore the intersection of disabilities and AI, and policy support is needed to provide AI services tailored to individual characteristics and to foster smart lifelong learning environments.