Ethics and Transparency in AI, Transparency, and Accountability in Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v3i4.1371Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyze what is known about ethics, transparency, and accountability in the use of artificial intelligence in the Pakistani higher education sector. A sample of 250 respondents from 15 public and private sector universities and 30 key informants were surveyed and interviewed to answer the problem of the study using the mixed methods approach. An analysis of the quantitative data using SPSS showed the existence of gaps within the ethical, transparency, and accountability frameworks that govern the use of AI in the academia. Using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis, the study sought to establish the existence of relationships and an association of the independent variables, the governance frameworks, and the dependent variables, the perceptions of the respondents on AI ethics. Qualitative data on these themes were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Problematic were the concerns over the lack of transparency in the use of AI, the binary algorithms, the over transparency of the decision making, and the absence of critical oversight. The study showed that the higher education institutions in the country do not possess any AI governance frameworks, and the key stakeholders have little or no understanding of the ethical issues pertaining to AI. Faculty and students expressed a lack of transparency in the use of AI, while the administrators admitted there were no adequate accountability frameworks for AI in their institutions. The study showed the necessity for the AI legislation to have ethical provisions, institutional frameworks on transparency, and accountability. The study proposed the formulation of an AI governance policy, ethics, legislation and policy frameworks training for all stakeholders, oversight frameworks, and cooperative frameworks for all education institutions and regulators to meet the needs of the AI technologies within higher education in the country.
