“Don't Give up the Power to Think!”: A Case Study of English Language Teachers' <scp>AI</scp> Ethics and <scp>AI</scp> ‐Induced Emotions

ABSTRACT As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly embedded in education, concerns about their ethical consequences have intensified. Risks such as plagiarism and the potential erosion of students' critical thinking skills underscore the complexity of integrating AI responsibly. Ensuring the ethical use of these technologies is therefore a central challenge for AI in Education (AIED). Yet, how in‐service teachers' emotional responses intersect with ethical concerns remains insufficiently understood, despite emotions being pivotal in shaping classroom practice and AI‐enabled productivity. Drawing on Appraisal Theory, this case study examines how university English teachers emotionally respond to the ethical principles of AI integration. Thematic analysis of semi‐structured interview data revealed distinct emotional patterns associated with different principles of AI ethics. Beneficence was primarily linked to Challenge Emotions and Achievement Emotions, whereas Non‐Maleficence, Autonomy, Justice, and Explicability were more often tied to Deterrence Emotions and Loss Emotions. Among these, concerns about Autonomy, particularly student dependence on AI and the erosion of critical thinking, emerged as especially salient. These findings highlight the need for context‐sensitive policies, targeted AI training programs, and a stronger emphasis on ethical reflexivity. By showing how teachers' appraisals of ethical principles are closely intertwined with their emotions, the study extends existing research on AI ethics in education and underscores that emotionally informed approaches are indispensable for achieving responsible, sustainable, and human‐centered AI integration.