This study aimed to explore student teachers’ lived experiences of an artificial intelligence–based curriculum, with particular emphasis on learner agency. Given the experiential, interpretive, and context-dependent nature of the phenomenon, the research was designed within a qualitative framework using a phenomenological approach to capture how student teachers perceive, interpret, and enact their roles when interacting with intelligent curricular systems. The research population consisted of undergraduate student teachers at Farhangian University who had prior experience using AI-based tools and learning environments. Participants were selected through purposive, criterion-based sampling. Data were collected through 14 in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis with the support of MAXQDA software.The findings resulted in the identification of eight overarching themes, including learner agency and self-regulation, patterns and quality of interaction with AI tools, rethinking curriculum design and assessment, professional identity development, enhancement of cognitive and technological skills, issues of educational equity and access, and the role of institutional policies and support structures. Overall, the results indicate that while AI-based curricula offer significant opportunities for personalized learning and the strengthening of learner agency, they also introduce substantial pedagogical, ethical, and institutional challenges. These findings highlight the need for deliberate curriculum redesign and informed policy-making in teacher education programs to ensure the effective and responsible integration of artificial intelligence in learning environments.