Published in the Journal of Information, Communication & Ethics in Society, 2026
Summary
This paper examines how the integration of artificial intelligence in higher education affects students’ psychological well-being, academic flourishing, and perceptions of inclusivity. Rather than focusing narrowly on AI adoption or performance, the study adopts a socio-technical and ethics-centered perspective, emphasizing the institutional and human conditions under which AI use is experienced as supportive, trustworthy, and fair.
Using survey data from higher education stakeholders and structural equation modeling, the research shows that institutional support, digital literacy, and AI integration capability shape ethical perceptions of AI—such as trust, psychological safety, and perceived educational value—which in turn influence well-being and inclusion outcomes.
Key Contributions
- Develops an integrated socio-technical model linking institutional support, digital literacy, and ethical concerns to psychological and educational outcomes of AI use.
- Demonstrates the central role of psychological safety, trust, and perceived educational value as mediators between AI capabilities and student well-being.
- Extends AI adoption research by foregrounding ethics, inclusivity, and flourishing, rather than efficiency or usage alone.
- Provides actionable guidance for higher education leaders and policymakers seeking ethically aligned and human-centered AI integration.
- Contributes empirical evidence to ongoing debates on ethical AI, student agency, and socio-technical governance in education.