Ethical Considerations and Challenges in AI-Enhanced Online Learning

As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly shapes higher education, ethical concerns surrounding its implementation have become more urgent. This chapter examines the ethical challenges and implications of AI-enhanced online learning, focusing on issues such as algorithmic bias, data privacy, student surveillance, and the potential erosion of human agency in education. Drawing on critical perspectives from John Dewey, Herbert Marcuse, Noam Chomsky, John Searle, Andrew Feenberg, and Mustafa Suleyman, it argues that AI’s unchecked proliferation risks reinforcing systemic inequalities and subordinating educational values to commercial interests. The chapter situates its analysis within the broader findings of The International AI Safety Report which highlights AI’s dual role in advancing innovation while exacerbating threats to equity, democracy, and privacy. Through case studies and theoretical analysis, this chapter offers recommendations for ethically integrating AI in education, ensuring it serves pedagogical and social justice goals rather than purely economic or administrative efficiency.