ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI): LECTURERS’ VIEWS ON CULTIVATING ETHICAL CHATBOTS

The rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, particularly the emergence of AI chatbots, have significantly impacted the educational landscape.As these chatbots become increasingly integrated into teaching and learning practices, lecturers must actively shape their usage as a force for good.This empirical study examines university lecturers' opinions on their responsibilities for ensuring the ethical and beneficial use of AI chatbots in their classrooms.This paper is couched in the Transformative Learning Theory, which emphasises how lecturers critically reflect on their beliefs and experiences to transform their perspectives and practices.A qualitative research methodology, in the form of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was employed through individual interviews to explore lecturers' perceptions of AI chatbots in their teaching and learning.A purposive sample of eight lecturers in the Department of Educational and Professional Studies at the University of Technology was used to collect data.The study examined the key challenges and opportunities presented by AI chatbots, as well as the strategies and considerations that lecturers believe are essential to ensure these technologies support ethical, inclusive, personalised, and compelling learning experiences.The findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on integrating AI in education and provide valuable insights for educational institutions and lecturers seeking to harness the potential of AI chatbots while mitigating the risks.