The association between ethical AI use and well-being among young adults in the UAE: a structural equation modeling approach

• Ethical AI use improves emotional, social, and psychological well-being. • GenAI usage moderates the link between AI ethics and emotional, social health. • Psychological well-being is less affected by GenAI usage time. • Responsible AI use matters more than hours of use for well-being. • UAE-specific data supports ethical AI policies in youth-centered settings. This study examines the association between ethical AI use and young people’s emotional, social, and psychological well-being in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the number of hours spent on GenAI serves as a moderator. Framed within the Theory of Planned Behavior and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), this research examines how responsible digital engagement is associated with both individual mental health and broader digital sustainability. A Structural Equation Modeling approach assessed how ethical AI behaviors are associated with well-being. A total of 204 participants, predominantly young, female, and Emirati university students, were surveyed to determine the direct and moderating effects of ethical AI use and GenAI exposure on well-being dimensions. Within this sample, higher well-being levels were positively correlated with ethical AI engagement. Additionally, the number of hours spent using AI moderates the relationship between ethical AI use and emotional and social well-being, not psychological well-being. The findings reveal that ethical AI use is positively associated with emotional and social well-being among participants in this sample, with the number of hours spent using GenAI moderating these associations. The association with psychological well-being is less pronounced, and the moderation effect is not significant for this dimension. Given the demographic homogeneity of the sample, these findings should be interpreted as contextually specific and are not intended to be generalised to broader or more diverse populations. The study offers evidence-informed implications for institutional and educational stakeholders and highlights how this group of young adults’ perceptions of ethical AI use can inform the design and refinement of AI governance frameworks, without making direct claims about national policy effectiveness.