Digital Literacy and Ethical Thinking in The Educational Process Under Conditions of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract Book of the 8th Global Conference on Education and Teaching

Year: 2026

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Digital Literacy and Ethical Thinking in The Educational Process Under Conditions of Artificial Intelligence

Tsvetana Stoyanova, Dr. Philip Stoyanov

ABSTRACT:

The fast movement and extensive use of artificial intelligence in education pose new demands for academic honesty and students’ ethical thought processes. This paper investigates the association between digital literacy and ethical perceptions of the use of AI in education. This research is derived from a questionnaire carried out among students (first-, second- and third- year) studying at UNSS (University of National and World Economy). It examines attitudes toward acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, as well as students’ perceptions of the potential harm linked to automatically generated content. This study makes use of a closed and semi-closed questionnaire. These are about self-assessment of digital literacy skills, knowledge and use of AI tools, and perceptions of ethical boundaries and risks in education. The results indicate that higher levels of digital literacy do not necessarily correspond to richer ethical cognitive frameworks. The emphasis is on the need for the focus to be on incorporating digital ethics from an academic viewpoint into curricula, and the need to foster a critical and responsible stance in regards to the new emerging technologies in education.

Keywords: digital literacy, generated content, AI tools, students ethics, digital ethics