The ethics of AI–human collaboration: a socio-technical framework for responsible governance in complex global operations

Purpose This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework for the ethical and responsible integration of artificial intelligence (AI)–human collaboration in complex and extreme global organisational contexts. This study seeks to explain how distributed cognition between human agents and AI can be governed to ensure technological agency does not supersede human dignity. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a systematic literature review as a theory-building tool. This study synthesises diverse theoretical domains, including distributed cognition theory, complex systems thinking, socio-technical systems theory and information ethics. Findings This study identifies three central mechanisms, cognitive-technological integration, socio-ethical regulation and organisational adaptation, that underpin AI–human systems. The framework proposes six propositions linking human oversight and data literacy to ethical decision fairness and the preservation of human agency in high-pressure environments. Research limitations/implications The framework provides a foundation for future empirical testing of how AI–human collaboration reconfigures power relations and knowledge production in global firms. This study emphasises the need for a shift from a technical-only view of AI to a socio-technical perspective. Social implications This study addresses the critical need for algorithmic transparency and accountability to prevent the “moral outsourcing” of decisions. This study shows how ethical governance can protect the dignity of the global workforce against opaque technological control. Originality/value By integrating Floridi’s information ethics with socio-technical systems theory, this paper provides a novel methodology for future-proofing global operations against institutional voids and ethical risks in the digital infosphere.