Rethinking Sustainable Integrity Practices

Ethical AI Use in Higher Education through Panellists’ Lived Experiences

Abstract

This study explores panellists’ understanding of AI guardrails and the challenges they identify, to inform better strategies for ethical and responsible AI use in academia. The research adopts Sociotechnical Systems Theory as its primary approach, alongside frameworks for Responsible AI, Ethical Governance, Institutional Theory, and Academic Integrity. Together, these frameworks help analyse interactions between people and technology, as well as the processes by which ethical decisions are made. The study uses a qualitative single-case design, focusing on a panel discussion to examine key issues related to AI safeguards and the importance of ethical AI use. NVivo was used to analyse the data and identify themes. The findings show that panellists view AI guardrails as tools for protecting systems, securing information, monitoring unethical behaviour, and ensuring that institutions follow rules. Based on these findings, the study suggests implications for higher education to support robust ethical governance and responsible AI use.