A cross-cultural examination of ethical issues in AI development

This study examines the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence (AI) and explores the awareness and understanding of how users interact with AI and the potential consequences of these interactions. In recent years, growing awareness of the risks of AI has driven the development of ethical guidelines by various organizations. These guidelines aim to ensure that AI is developed and deployed in a responsible manner, with a focus on human well-being, societal benefits and minimizing risks. However, despite this global movement, there is a lack of consensus on key ethical issues such as bias, discrimination, privacy and human rights issues. The study focuses on the perceptions of 127 participants from 11 countries with diverse professional backgrounds in technology, education and finance. A survey with a 5-point Likert scale was used to assess participants’ attitudes towards AI ethics in relation to various topics such as transparency. The study examines differences in responses across professions and countries using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) test. The results reveal variations in ethical priorities, suggesting that while global ethical frameworks are emerging, further efforts are needed to achieve uniformity in AI ethical standards. The findings emphasize the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of AI ethics to mitigate potential harms.