AI ethics as a complex and multifaceted challenge: decoding educators’ AI ethics alignment through the lens of activity theory

Abstract

This study explores university educators’ perspectives on their alignment with artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, considering activity theory (AT), which forms the theoretical underpinning of this study. To do so, 37 educators from a higher education institution were selected to write their metaphors about AI ethics alignment, out of which 11 attended semi-structured interviews, in which they answered some questions about their AI ethics alignment and narrated some experiences. The study reveals diverse and often contradictory perspectives on AI ethics, highlighting a general lack of awareness and inconsistent application of ethical principles. Some educators metaphorised AI ethics as fundamental but difficult to understand, while others pointed to the difficulties of regulating ethical violations. The findings highlight the need for targeted professional development on AI ethics, collaborative policy making and a multidisciplinary approach to promote ethical use of AI in higher education. This study also calls for stronger alignment between educators’ personal ethical standards and institutional norms to reduce AI-related risks in educational settings.