Conceptions of education and ethics of AI in higher education: An exploratory qualitative study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25619/x06x8c41

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence, AI in higher education (AIHEd), AI Ethics, learning analytics, educational theory

Abstract

The digital transformation of society significantly impacts higher education, leading to notable changes in teaching, learning and the management of higher education institutions. These developments raise new (ethical) questions, such as whether AI-based technologies in higher education affect and change prevalent conceptions of education and whether such changes are ethically relevant. This study begins with the premise that AI-based technologies are not neutral regarding normative assumptions about what education is and should be (i.e., conceptions of education). It then demonstrates why the impact of AI-based technologies on conceptions of education should be considered when ethically assessing those technologies in higher education. The exploratory qualitative study, comprising semi-structured guided interviews and a focus group with representatives from the higher education sector, aims to provide new insights by identifying whether experts see a link between the conceptions of education and the ethical evaluation of AI-based technologies. The study seeks to clarify which conceptions of education are prevalent, how AI-based technologies are perceived in higher education institutions and their relevance, what current developments are observed, and what they imply for the mission of higher education institutions. The study shows that ethical issues are significant in reflecting on conceptions of education and the self-understanding of higher education institutions, especially in the context of the use of AI-based technologies. It is shown that the reflection on the goals and aims of education (conceptions of education) and higher education institutions (mission statements) is crucial for ethically evaluating the use and implementation of AI in higher education.

Author Biographies

  • Alexander Filipović, University of Vienna

    Dr. Alexander Filipović is a professor of social ethics at the Institute for Systematic Theology and Ethics at the University of Vienna's Catholic Theological Faculty. His research interests include media ethics, technology ethics (digital ethics and the ethics of artificial intelligence), political ethics, educational ethics, and philosophical pragmatism. He is the co-editor of the media ethics journal Communicatio Socialis (www.communicatio-socialis.de).

  • Celina Beck, Universität Wien

    Celina Beck, M.A., is a PhD candidate in political science and a university assistant (PreDoc) in the Area of Social Ethics at the Institute of Systematic Theology and Ethics, University of Vienna. In her thesis, she explores the entangled relationships between gender, body politics, conceptions of nature, and technology, with a particular emphasis on (reproductive) technologies.

  • Noreen van Elk, University of Vienna

    Noreen van Elk, born in 1991, BTh, M.A., PhD, studied Catholic theology and religious studies in Leuven (Belgium) and Berlin, and earned her doctorate from the University of Groningen. From 2014 to 2017, she was a researcher at the Institute for Theology and Peace (ithf) in Hamburg, and from 2017 to 2021 she served as policy advisor at the Commissariat of the German Bishops in Berlin. Since December 2021, she has been a postdoctoral university assistant in the Department of Social Ethics at the Institute for Systematic Theology and Ethics, Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Vienna. Her research interests include critical social theory and philosophy, political ethics and educational justice, Christian peace ethics, peace and conflict studies, terrorism studies, and the study of right-wing populism and extremism.

  • Christoph Tröbinger, University of Vienna

    Christoph Tröbinger is a professor at the University College of Christian Education in Vienna and Lower Austria. His areas of focus are religious education and ethics. He was a teacher at an academic secondary school (AHS) in Vienna (2022–2025) and a research assistant at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Vienna (2015–2019), where he participated in a research project on the ethical implications of AI in higher education (2021–2022).

  • Jacqueline Michl, University of Vienna

    Jacqueline Michl is an educational researcher and former lecturer at the University of Vienna, where she spent several years advancing research at the intersection of pedagogy, social justice, and innovation. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to educational equity and the transformative potential of learning. Her doctoral thesis explored the professional identity formation of career changers entering the teaching profession, offering new insights into diversity in educational pathways. A key milestone in her interdisciplinary career was contributing to the interdisciplinary project BiKI Ethics, a pioneering research project on the role of artificial intelligence in higher education. Most recently, she served as a Fellow at Teach For Austria, teaching at a secondary school in Vienna, where she combined academic expertise with hands-on educational practice to promote equal opportunities for all students.

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Published

2025-07-21

Data Availability Statement

Due to the sensitivity of interview transcripts and ethical restrictions, the data is not publicly available. Anonymized excerpts can be made available upon reasonable request.

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Alexander Filipović, Celina Beck, Noreen van Elk, Christoph Tröbinger, Jacqueline Michl

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