Ethical Challenges in the AI Age: Balancing Honesty, Fairness, and Creativity in Education and Research

Dr. Devanandan K. V.

Abstract: Academic practices have been transformed by the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies like Google's Read Along, Grammarly, Turnitin, and ChatGPT into research and teaching. These tools offer increased productivity, automation, and personalisation. Nonetheless, the increasing dependence on AI presents significant ethical issues that jeopardise intellectual property, equity, and academic integrity. This paper examines the main ethical issues surrounding the use of AI in research and education, such as algorithmic bias, surveillance dangers, the decline of academic authorship, and the growing digital divide. The effects of AI - generated content on plagiarism, disinformation, and the loss of human agency in knowledge generation are examined critically. Transparency, AI literacy, and institutional policy frameworks in line with global ethical standards like UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021) are further emphasised in the paper. In order to guarantee that AI in academia continues to be a tool for empowerment rather than exploitation, it ends by promoting a balanced approach in which innovation is directed by ethical thought.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence in education, AI ethics, academic integrity, authorship and plagiarism, AI in research, digital equity, AI literacy, surveillance and privacy, UNESCO AI ethics

How to Cite?: Dr. Devanandan K. V., "Ethical Challenges in the AI Age: Balancing Honesty, Fairness, and Creativity in Education and Research", Volume 14 Issue 7, July 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 264-266, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR25702123535, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR25702123535