Challenges and Cracks: Ethical Issues in the Development of Artificial Intelligence

Background The fast-paced acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in various sectors of society, such as health, the judiciary, and education, has had several socio-ethical, legal, and human rights consequences. While AI technologies allow for more efficiency and specialization in decision-making processes, the use of such technologies in very sensitive spheres of social life brings with it great potential dangers, such as bias, discrimination, and violation of privacy. Methods The analysis was performed using Biblioshiny, which is the web interface of the Bibliometric R-package and VOSviewer, to ascertain trends in publication rates, citation impact, keyword development, concentration of journals, institutional affiliations, and inter-country contributions. A co-word and cluster analysis was also performed to show the current dominant and emerging themes of the literature and the thematic evolution from 2018 to 2025. The (theo–context–characteristics–methodology TCCM () framework was applied to analyze the theoretical, contextual, characteristic, and methodological gaps in the literature. Results Most of the heavier hits and influential research are found in only a small number of journals and institutions, mainly located in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. There is a predominance of the themes of AI ethics, governance, and data protection. New themes, such as AI governance and algorithmic accountability, have become apparent in recent years. Conclusions This study contributes to the research in the area in that it provides a comprehensive overview of the developments in AI ethics and human rights and also notes the major gaps in this area. A future agenda for research using the TCCM framework is presented, whereby a call is made for the integration of formal ethical theories into the sphere, a move to empirical methodologies, and enhancement of the geographic and sectoral spread of research.

This study is motivated by the growing discourse on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics that has not yet been fully operationalized in practice, particularly in the health and education sectors in the era of generative AI. It aims to synthesize the literature on the operationalization of AI ethics in order to propose a new governance model that is more adaptive and context-sensitive. A structured thematic synthesis was conducted on peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025. The analysis reveals a central paradox: a strong global consensus on the principles of justice, transparency, accountability, and privacy stands in stark contrast to significant gaps in their implementation. The emerging challenges are highly context-dependent: in the health sector, they center on technical safety and relational accountability, whereas in the education sector they are more closely related to epistemic integrity and equitable access. The advent of generative AI exacerbates these issues by introducing new systemic risks, such as large-scale hallucinations and an increasingly profound crisis of clarity. In response to the limitations of static compliance-based approaches, this study proposes the Adaptive and Layered AI Governance Model (ALAIGoM), a model of adaptive and layered AI governance that integrates operationalized ethical principles, multi-level governance structures, and a continuous ethics life cycle to enable context-sensitive, adaptive oversight. The model is grounded in proactive trust-building, human-centered design, and mechanisms that ensure acceptability. Overall, this study offers a coherent roadmap for reconfiguring AI ethics from a mere normative checklist into an embedded, adaptive, and responsive governance process.

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought significant changes to human life in various aspects, including the economy, society, and culture. What is concerning is that, without clear value and ethical controls, AI has the potential to disrupt the balance of humanity and human development. In Islam, humans are entrusted as khalifah (vicegerents) to develop and prosper the earth based on principles outlined in the Qur’an and Hadith. This article discusses how the Islamic principle of khalifah can serve as a foundation for human development in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) by identifying the concept of khalifah from an Islamic perspective and evaluating the impact of AI development on human growth. Furthermore, this study proposes a framework for AI development based on khalifah principles. The advancement of AI technology requires guidance grounded in values and ethics to ensure human well-being and environmental balance. This study employs a qualitative approach through library research on primary and secondary sources related to the concept of khalifah, human development, and ethical issues of AI in the contemporary context. The article proposes the integration of maqasid shariah and the khalifah principle as an Islamic ethical framework in the development and use of AI.

Objectives: The objective of this scientific paper is to shed light on the challenges facing the legislative industry in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Specifically, it aims to anticipate and predict the difficulties related to creating an independent legal personality for AI tools, enabling them to assume rights and obligations, as well as establishing criminal responsibility and punishment in cases where AI technologies commit crimes punishable by law. Methods: To achieve the stated objectives, this paper employs a theoretical and analytical approach. It involves a comprehensive review and analysis of existing literature, legal frameworks, and case studies related to the legal implications of AI technologies. Additionally, hypothetical scenarios and potential challenges are discussed to illustrate the complexities involved in creating legal frameworks that address the unique nature of AI tools and their impact on society. Results: The analysis reveals several key challenges facing the legislative industry in the field of AI technologies. These challenges include the conceptualization of an independent legal personality for AI tools, determining the rights and obligations associated with such personality, and establishing mechanisms for holding AI technologies accountable for their actions. Furthermore, the paper explores the difficulties in imposing criminal responsibility and punishment on AI technologies in cases where they commit crimes. Conclusion: In conclusion, this scientific paper highlights the complexities and challenges associated with creating legal frameworks for AI technologies. By anticipating and predicting these challenges, it provides valuable insights for legislators, policymakers, and legal professionals involved in shaping the regulatory landscape for AI. Moving forward, it is essential to address these challenges proactively and develop legal frameworks that strike a balance between promoting innovation and safeguarding societal interests in the era of artificial intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing every aspect of our society—including amplifying our biases. Fairness, trust and ethics are at the core of many of the issues underlying the implications of AI. Despite this, research on AI with relation to fairness, trust and ethics in the information systems (IS) field is still scarce. This panel brought together academia, business and government perspectives to discuss the challenges and identify potential solutions to address such challenges. This panel report presents eight themes based around the discussion of two questions: (1) What are the biggest challenges to designing, implementing and deploying fair, ethical and trustworthy AI?; and (2) What are the biggest challenges to policy and governance for fair, ethical and trustworthy AI? The eight themes are: (1) identifying AI biases; (2) drawing attention to AI biases; (3) addressing AI biases; (4) designing transparent and explainable AI; (5) AI fairness, trust, ethics: old wine in a new bottle?; (6) AI accountability; (7) AI laws, policies, regulations and standards; and (8) frameworks for fair, ethical and trustworthy AI. Based on the results of the panel discussion, we present research questions for each theme to guide future research in the area of human–computer interaction.

We have examined the attitude and moral perception of 228 college students (63 Japanese and 165 non-Japanese) towards artificial intelligence (AI) in an international university in Japan. The students were asked to select a single most significant ethical issue associated with AI in the future from a list of nine ethical issues suggested by the World Economic Forum, and to explain why they believed that their chosen issues were most important. The majority of students (n = 149, 65%) chose unemployment as the major ethical issue related to AI. The second largest group of students (n = 29, 13%) were concerned with ethical issues related to emotional AI, including the impact of AI on human behavior and emotion. The paper discusses the results in detail and concludes that, while policymakers must consider how to ameliorate the impact of AI on employment, AI engineers need to consider the emotional aspects of AI in research and development, as well.

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has brought about transformative opportunities across various sectors, while simultaneously raising profound legal, ethical, and societal concerns. Despite the global scope of AI’s development and deployment, there is currently no binding international legal framework specifically governing its use. This absence creates significant challenges, including regulatory fragmentation, legal uncertainty, and risks related to human rights, safety, and accountability. This paper explores the key obstacles to establishing a unified global regime, such as geopolitical tensions, diverging national interests, and differing approaches to ethical principles. It also examines existing regional and soft law initiatives, such as the European Union’s AI Act and the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, assessing their potential to inform future international consensus. Finally, the study highlights possible pathways for progress, emphasizing the need for multilateral cooperation, inclusive governance models, and flexible legal instruments that can adapt to the evolving nature of AI. The analysis underscores the urgency of developing a coherent international legal response to ensure that AI technologies are aligned with shared global values and human-centric principles.

In the era of artificial intelligence, traditional physical education methods can no longer meet the needs of contemporary college physical education, and it is even more difficult to adapt to the development needs of physical education in the new era. And through the new era of human artificial intelligence technology, physical education can be gradually reformed, and artificial intelligence technology can be reasonably used to construct an intelligent robot system for physical education. The content, scenes, methods and processes of physical education can be continuously innovated and diversified. The evaluation system can better adapt to the individual development needs of contemporary college students. Artificial intelligence makes physical education more intelligent, curriculum construction more scientific, and teaching methods more innovative and future.

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has brought about significant positive changes across society. However, it has also introduced challenges like privacy breaches, data bias, and spreading fake news. In response, several countries, including South Korea, have provided ethical guidelines and policies for AI. Yet, these measures often fall short of keeping pace with the speed and diversity of AI development. To address these issues, this study developed a comprehensive approach by integrating ethical considerations into AI education, covering the entire AI technology development and application process. It involved analyzing previous research on AI and AI ethics education and creating a draft of an integrated AI education program focused on problem-solving based on computational thinking and ethical practicality. The draft was refined and supplemented through two rounds of expert Delphi surveys, ultimately leading to an “Integrated AI Education Program.” This proposed program emphasizes that the knowledge content of AI technology and ethical considerations should not be treated separately but addressed together. It aims to enhance moral and social capacities alongside the experience of thinking like a computer scientist when solving real-life problems. Through this, the program supports the ultimate goal of AI education: to foster computational thinking while providing an educational experience that considers both technology and ethics. This study is expected to advance the discussion on integrating AI ethics into AI education curricula and contribute to developing socially responsible AI developers and users.

This article focuses on analyzing fathers' communication patterns in shaping early childhood science skills in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The main problem identified is the changing dynamics of communication between fathers and children, and its potential impact on the development of children's science skills. The purpose of this study is to identify effective father communication patterns in stimulating children's interest and science skills in the AI era. The research method was qualitative case study of five fathers. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and content analysis of father-child interactions in the context of science learning. Then analyzed using the Miles Huberman model and then data validity with data triangulation. The results showed that father's communication focused on open-ended questions, presenting information with a creative approach, and using AI technology as a learning tool can improve children's science skills. Fathers' understanding and support of technological development is also a key factor in building children's science literacy in the AI era. The findings contribute to practical understanding for parents, educators and policy makers to shape a communication environment that supports the development of children's science skills. The practical implications can be applied in designing family education programs and science learning strategies for early childhood that are appropriate to the development of AI technology.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies advance and become increasingly integrated into medicine and healthcare services, there is a growing consensus that it is necessary to prepare medical students to understand and utilize AI in medical education. Research and discussions are ongoing regarding the AI competencies that healthcare professionals should have. There are diverse opinions on how to integrate the necessary AI competencies for medical graduates into existing curricula. However, wide agreement exists regarding the importance of providing sufficient and appropriate education on the ethical aspects of using AI in clinical practice and research. In this paper, the authors aim to introduce practical educational principles, strategies, and methods for educators interested in teaching AI ethics in medicine. To achieve this, the paper (1) introduces the AI competencies and medical ethics competencies that medical school graduates should possess; (2) explains the necessity of fostering AI ethics competencies in medical education; (3) discusses the principles of developing AI ethics education and considerations for implementing such curricula; and (4) presents educational modules that can be utilized to cultivate AI ethics competencies in medical students and young physicians. The authors of the paper hope that the case-based module on medical AI ethics we have developed may contribute to prepare medical graduates who are familiar with the principles and guidelines of medical AI ethics, enabling them to make the best ethical choices in any given environment.

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies—such as ChatGPT, DALL·E, and other large language and image models—become increasingly mainstream, they introduce new ethical, legal, and governance challenges that are particularly urgent in developing countries. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and a regional technology hub, offers a compelling case study of how these technologies are being adopted in environments with minimal regulatory infrastructure and limited public awareness. This paper examines the ethical and societal implications of generative AI in Nigeria and interrogates the country's preparedness to manage these risks. Despite the creation of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) in 2020 and the recent passage of legislation such as the Nigeria Data Protection Act (2023) and the Startup Act (2022), Nigeria lacks a unified national AI formal risk classification systems, or sector-specific ethical guidelines. These gaps are important given the widespread, unregulated use of generative AI tools in education, politics, and digital commerce. In higher education, students increasingly rely on generative AI for assignments and projects, raising concerns about academic integrity in a system already strained by infrastructural deficits. Meanwhile, in the political domain, deepfake videos and AI-generated misinformation have circulated in election periods, threatening democratic stability in a media world prone to disinformation and weak content regulation. The paper compares Nigeria’s regulatory trajectory with global trends, particularly the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act and similar initiatives in Kenya, South Africa, and Rwanda. It highlights how Nigeria’s reactive approach to AI governance contrasts sharply with more proactive global models. Sectoral analysis reveals risks including digital labour displacement, cultural misrepresentation through foreign-trained models, algorithmic bias, and the erosion of public trust. Ultimately, the study calls attention to Nigeria’s urgent need for a comprehensive, context-sensitive AI ethics and governance framework. Through an analysis grounded in local realities and informed by global comparisons, the paper contributes to broader conversations about equitable, responsible AI adoption in the Global South.

This paper argues that the field of artificial intelligence (AI) ethics needs to give more attention to the values and interests of nonhumans such as other biological species and the AI itself. It documents the extent of current attention to nonhumans in AI ethics as found in academic research, statements of ethics principles, and select projects to design, build, apply, and govern AI. It finds that the field of AI ethics gives limited and inconsistent attention to nonhumans, with the main activity being a line of research on the moral status of AI. The paper argues that nonhumans merit moral consideration, meaning that they should be actively valued for their own sake and not ignored or valued just for how they might benefit humans. Finally, it explains implications of moral consideration of nonhumans for AI ethics research and practice, including for the content of AI ethics principles, the selection of AI projects, the accounting of inadvertent effects of AI systems such as via their resource and energy consumption and potentially certain algorithmic biases, and the research challenge of incorporating nonhuman interests and values into AI system design. The paper does not take positions on which nonhumans to morally consider or how to balance the interests and values of humans vs. nonhumans. Instead, the paper makes the more basic argument that the field of AI ethics should move from its current state of affairs, in which nonhumans are usually ignored, to a state in which nonhumans are given more consistent and extensive moral consideration.

With the gradual maturity of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, it is urgent to change and innovate the traditional media communication paradigm. Current research and application areas include language processing, image recognition, AI systems, intelligent video technology, and text recognition. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, it is used in all walks of life in society. All sectors of society have also set off the exploration and application of artificial intelligence. In the field of news communication, artificial intelligence technology brings opportunities and challenges to the news industry in publishing news content forms and organizations. Exploring the new development trends and countermeasures of the news industry in the era of artificial intelligence has become a key topic for the news communication industry and academia. With the support of the huge communication network, the information transmission of short video news is more abundant. While people obtain information, it can also enhance the interactivity of the news. In a fast-paced society, short video news is undoubtedly closer to life. However, due to some reasons, human factors lead to incomplete access to information. In this paper, an intelligent neural network is proposed to be applied to an intelligent robot or intelligent system so that it can better obtain information to edit short video news and disseminate it, and compare it with the existing such machines or systems on the market today. This paper analyzes the development of short video news dissemination based on artificial intelligence and proposes improvement strategies based on specific examples.

With continuing developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and robot technology, ethical issues related to digital humans, AI avatars, intelligent process automation, robots, cyborgs, and autonomous vehicles are emerging, and the need for cultural and social sustainability through AI ethics is increasing. Moreover, as the use of video conferencing and metaverse platforms has increased due to COVID-19, ethics concepts and boundaries related to information and communications technology, cyber etiquette, AI ethics, and robot ethics have become more ambiguous. Because the definitions of ethics domains may be confusing due to the various types of computing platforms available, this paper attempts to classify these ethics domains according to three main platforms: computing devices, intermediary platforms, and physical computing devices. This classification provides a conceptual ethics framework that encompasses computer ethics, information ethics, cyber ethics, robot ethics, and AI ethics. Several examples are provided to clarify the boundaries between the various ethics and platforms. The results of this study can be the educational basis for the sustainability of society on ethical issues according to the development of technology.