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Current Research and Critical Reflections on AI Ethics Literacy Among University Students
ZHOU Quan
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DOI:10.17265/2328-2177/2026.09.007
Beijing International Studies University, Beijing, China
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes embedded in university students’ learning, social interactions, and knowledge production, ethics education is shifting from general warnings about risks toward contextual judgment and responsible practice. This article reviews the conceptual foundations, research themes, measurement approaches, and educational strategies addressed in the literature on university students’ AI ethics literacy published between 2021 and 2026. Research has expanded from broad normative discussions to literacy frameworks, student experiences, and educational assessment. However, studies remain inconsistent in their treatment of ethical knowledge, value orientations, judgment, and behavior. Science and technology ethics, digital ethics, and AI ethics are related but not interchangeable. Distinctions must also be maintained between self-reports and actual competence, and between institutional compliance and ethical judgment. Future research should examine students’ specific contexts of AI use, establish the applicability of assessment instruments, develop longitudinal and behavioral evidence, and incorporate student participation into educational governance. These efforts can help move research on ethics literacy beyond normative advocacy toward educational practices whose processes and outcomes can be explained and evaluated.
university students, AI ethics literacy, ethics education
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