Impact of AI Literacy on AI Ethics: A Scenario-Based Analysis

This study examines the impact of AI literacy on ethical attitudes using a scenario-based approach. AI literacy, comprising four components—Use & Apply AI, Know & Understand AI, Detect AI, and AI Ethics—was measured using the AI Literacy Scale (AILS). Ethical attitudes were evaluated across four scenarios: personalized healthcare (Medical), AI hiring (Hiring), crime prediction (Crime), and autonomous weapons (Weapon), based on eight ethical principles, including privacy, accountability, safety, and fairness. Participants with higher AI literacy demonstrated more positive attitudes across all scenarios. Use & Apply AI showed the most consistent influence on ethical attitudes, while other components had context-specific effects. Higher agreement with AI technologies also correlated with reduced ethical concerns in Hiring and Weapon scenarios. This study underscores the importance of AI literacy, particularly application skills, in shaping ethical attitudes. It calls for targeted education and public engagement to address the ethical challenges posed by AI technologies.