As the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools becomes increasingly common in universities, they present both opportunities and challenges. This study, conducted at the Women’s University in Africa, introduced an AI literacy training programme to help students and academics understand how AI works, how to use it ethically, and how to avoid misuse such as plagiarism and overdependence. The findings show that shared learning between students and staff about the risks and benefits of generative AI fosters more responsible and transparent use of AI. The paper recommends integrating AI literacy into university curricula to ensure that education evolves with technology while preserving core values of integrity, transparency and accountability.

“While generative AI holds great potential to advance higher education goals, its benefits will only be fully realised if accompanied by deliberate investment in AI literacy training. Without it, we risk deepening existing inequalities and compromising the integrity and quality of academic practice.”

Nancy Kwangwa is Deputy University Librarian at the Women’s University in Africa and a leading advocate for AI literacy, digital equity, and ethical information access. She holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town and has contributed to global initiatives such as UNESCO’s Abuja Declaration, while leading digital inclusion efforts across Zimbabwe.

AI technology and AI applications are dramatically impacting humanity and society, offering immense opportunities and significant risks. As Saveliev and Zhurenkov note: “AI is often understood as a double-edged sword of modern science.” This study compares AI ethics policies across different countries, filling a gap in current literature on ethical AI and sustainable development. By examining various nations’ approach to regulation, social responsibility, and governance, the research identifies best practices and offers recommendations for policymakers, developers, users, and global AI leaders. The authors emphasize the urgent need for global collaboration in shaping ethical AI frameworks.

“We need both carrot and stick — policies that enable free and unfettered innovation while striking the right balance between AI development and control.” Danxia Chen

Danxia Chen is a professor of data science and statistics at Dallas Baptist University, certified by NVIDIA, Harvard Business School, Deep Learning AI Institute and IBM, with expertise in ethical AI and research in education.

Cicely Jefferson is Dean of the Carter School of Business at Dallas Baptist University, with a background in law, ministry and business.

Jon K. Reid is a licensed counselor and former psychology professor with 30 years experience.

Joanne Hix teaches management at Dallas Baptist University with corporate strategy experience from Southwest Airlines and Mobil.

As part of its Vision 2030 digital transformation, Egypt has positioned AI as a catalyst for national development in sectors like health and education. To address ethical and societal risks, the country has adopted a hybrid AI governance model that combines regulatory measures, like the Personal Data Protection Law and upcoming AI legislation, with soft tools such as the 2023 Egyptian Charter for Responsible AI. Central to this model is the Responsible AI Center, established to coordinate ethical AI practices across sectors. Egypt’s approach emphasizes inclusive, values-driven, and adaptable policies aligned with international frameworks (e.g., OECD, UNESCO). Supported by the ongoing UNESCO AI Readiness Assessment, it offers a blueprint for how Global South countries can foster trustworthy AI ecosystems that align innovation with ethics and local priorities.

“There is no “one-size-fits-all” model for AI governance. Egypt’s experience demonstrates how a hybrid and adaptive governance model can embed ethics and inclusivity at the core.”

Yomna Omran is the AI Governance and Coordination Lead at Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, specializing in the global governance of emerging technologies and the intersection of AI, ethics, and international relations.

As AI transforms education, most universities struggle with scattered AI experiments that fail to create real change. This paper introduces the AI Strategy Compass (AISC), a practical framework successfully implemented at Breda University of Applied Sciences to guide comprehensive AI adoption across institutions. The AISC consists of six interconnected components: creating urgency around AI’s importance, setting clear strategies, building a team of AI pioneers, taking a coordinated programmatic approach, maintaining open communication, and fostering cultural change. Rather than treating AI as merely a technical upgrade, the framework recognizes that successful implementation requires changing people’s behaviour, how we work, learn, and relate to technology. Early insights show that meaningful transformation happens when institutions prioritize human behavior over technology, empower knowledgeable staff to lead change, and create space for experimentation and learning. The AISC offers educational leaders a roadmap for moving beyond fragmented pilots toward institution-wide AI transformation that enhances teaching, research, and operations.

“If organisations want to create impact with ethical and inclusive AI, they must treat it as a whole—not as a set of isolated projects or fragmented actions—and invest in people, not just policies.”

Ines Springael is AI Programme Manager at Breda University of Applied Sciences, where she leads institution-wide AI adoption through a human-centered framework that treats AI implementation as a cultural and strategic transformation.

This paper highlights Bahrain’s pioneering efforts in promoting ethical and inclusive AI education through a national AI framework aligned with UNESCO’s values. Supported by the government, the initiative integrates responsible AI principles into school curricula, emphasizes teacher training, and ensures broad student engagement. It has already reached thousands of learners and achieved gender balance in AI certification. Bahrain’s experience offers a compelling example of how smaller nations can make significant steps in preparing youth for an AI-driven future—ethically and equitably.

“Ethical and inclusive AI education is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. With the right policy commitment, gender parity, national certification, and ethical alignment even small nations can scale responsible AI learning for all.”

Dr. Raghu Dhumpati is a Professor of Computer Science at Bahrain Polytechnic and an expert in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing.

Southeast Asia, home to over 600 million people across 11 diverse nations, faces unique challenges and opportunities in shaping ethical AI governance. Yet, the region’s evolving AI policy landscape remains underexplored due to fragmented information and limited visibility. To address this, AI Safety Asia (AISA) developed the Southeast Asia AI Policy Observatory—the region’s first digital platform dedicated to mapping AI governance initiatives across all 11 countries. Built through extensive engagement, including six roundtables with over 1,000 participants and more than 30 stakeholder interviews across three beta cycles (Sep 2024–Mar 2025), the Observatory provides essential regional insight to complement global monitoring efforts. The beta version is accessible at https://seaobservatory.com/.

“SEA AI Observatory is not just a repository, but a tool to help policymakers, researchers, and civil society track, compare, and engage with AI policies across 11 countries. More than comparison, I hope it fosters regional collaboration and drives ethical, inclusive AI governance that reflects Southeast Asia’s diverse needs and aspirations.”

Shi Hao Lee holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Cornell University and a B.A. from UC Berkeley. He is the former Technical Lead at AI Safety Asia, where he led the development of the SEA AI Observatory tracking AI policies across Southeast Asia.

As AI becomes part of everyday life, it must also serve older adults, who are often left behind by technology. This paper outlines three key insights for designing ethical, inclusive AI systems. First, older users value explainability and control—they’re more likely to trust and use AI when they understand how it works and can shape its behavior. Second, empathy and emotional alignment matter just as much as functionality: AI that responds to users’ feelings and routines can enhance well-being and reduce isolation. Third, combining human-centered design methods with ethical AI frameworks (such as Google’s PAIR and Stanford’s HAI) creates more inclusive systems that respect dignity and autonomy. This researcher demonstrates that older adults are not passive users—they want to be heard, involved, and supported. Trustworthy AI begins by listening, adapting, and designing with people—not just for them.

“Older adults are not passive recipients of technology—they have unique needs, preferences, and lived experiences that, when incorporated into AI design, lead to more effective, ethical, and inclusive systems. I hope policymakers recognize that creating human-centered AI requires active engagement with end-users, particularly those at risk of digital marginalization, to ensure that AI technologies support autonomy, dignity, and social inclusion in ageing societies.”

Dr. Aung Pyae is a Lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, specializing in Human-Centered AI, Human-Computer Interaction, and Health Informatics. He has contributed extensively to both academic research and applied innovation in generative AI, UX design, and technology for aging populations.

This paper presents the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Observatory (OBIA), a national initiative to monitor AI deployment in line with the Brazilian AI Strategy and Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan (PBIA). OBIA aims to centralize key data and indicators for more transparent, ethical, and sustainable AI governance. The paper focuses on two core research areas: federal government investments in intelligent systems and judicial cases regarding AI use. Preliminary findings from both strands show how OBIA combines quantitative and qualitative insights to map Brazil’s evolving AI landscape. By tracking AI use across sectors, OBIA strengthens oversight and contributes to evidence-based policymaking for responsible AI development.

“A structured observatory, built on quantitative analyses and outcome‑driven indicators of AI adoption, holds great potential for informing and accelerating AI‑related policymaking toward sustainable development.”

Alexandre Barbosa is an ICT expert and chair of ITU’s Expert Group on ICT Household Indicators, coordinating digital access and inclusion surveys worldwide.

Cristina Godoy Bernardo de Oliveira is a Law professor and Head of Legal Theory at the University of São Paulo (USP), Vice-Coordinator of the Brazilian AI Observatory, rese, Vice-Coordinator of the Brazilian AI Observatory, researching AI regulation and ethics.

Isabella Ferreira Lopes is a Computer Engineer and AI ethics researcher pursuing a Master’s at USP, focusing on data mining, machine learning, and AI governance.

João Paulo Veiga is a Political science professor and researcher at USP, specializing in AI governance, ethics, and human rights.

João Pita Costa is a Mathematician and Senior Researcher at IRCAI, leading AI and SDG observatories with an ethics and policy focus.

Luiz Costa is the Head of the Brazilian AI Observatory at NIC.br, with a background in AI, telecom leadership, and computer vision research.

Rafael Meira Silva is a Lawyer and computer science student focused on AI regulation, data protection, and Brazil’s AI regulatory sandbox.

Managing medications can be challenging for older adults, often leading to missed doses and health risks. Tagtime Medicare is a mobile application developed to help elderly adults and their caregivers in managing medications more safely and efficiently. It features customizable reminders and integrates RFID tags attached to pill bottles, enabling users to scan and instantly access accurate dosage instructions. With promising pilot testing results (a 9.3% drop in missed doses, a 72% reduction in time spent on medication tasks, and a 90% user satisfaction rate), Tagtime Medicare demonstrates potential to improve health outcomes in ageing populations.

“We wanted to create a practical, compassionate digital tool that simplifies medication management for older adults. Our research shows that even simple, accessible technology can make a measurable difference in people’s lives.”

Nuttapat Ngernshoosri is a Computer Science student at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), dedicated to creating human-centered, ethical healthcare technologies like Tagtime Medicare.

Jittaphanu Koomdee is a Computer Science student at KMUTNB, focused on developing ethical, user-friendly digital tools for healthcare and elder care.

Nuttawut Sroidokson is Deputy Director of Digital Technology at the Institute of Computer and Information Technology, KMUTNB.

Porawat Visutsak is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Applied Science, KMUTNB, and a former Senior Visiting Scholar at Beijing Institute of Technology.

This study explores the growing use of AI in university student assessments, such as automated grading and plagiarism detection, and raises concerns about fairness, transparency, and accountability. While these technologies can enhance efficiency, they may also produce biased or unfair outcomes. The paper urges higher education institutions to adopt ethical guidelines, ensure human oversight, and regularly audit AI tools to ensure innovative, equitable and responsible educational systems.

“Fairness in student assessment must not be sacrificed for efficiency. Ethical AI systems should be designed to enhance—not replace—human judgment, and must be regularly audited for bias, transparency, and accountability.”

Ayoub Mohammed Suleiman Albalushi is a lecturer at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Oman, specializing in educational psychology and the ethical use of technology in education.

This paper explores how Ethical Impact Assessments (EIAs) for AI can move beyond their typical function as risk management tools to become catalysts of ethical culture in technology development. Drawing on Linda Zagzebski’s theory on virtue ethics and exemplarism, it proposes reimagining UNESCO’s EIA framework as source of moral inspiration, encouraging AI development teams to learn from ethical role models, or “exemplars, rather than relying solely on compliance with rules. By recognizing individuals in tech who embody integrity and responsibility, organizations can foster a culture of intrinsic motivation for ethical innovation. This approach is particularly relevant in fast-paced environments where speed and control overshadow ethical reflection. Reframing EIAs as tools for moral learning can help cultivate a genuine commitment to trustworthy AI within the identity and everyday practices of tech organizations.

“Moral imagination is our capacity to envision the ethical dimensions and potential consequences of technology. By connecting this human capacity with an AI framework grounded in moral exemplars, we can move beyond mere compliance and begin to shape systems that have a genuine orientation toward virtuous outcomes. This fusion of imagination and exemplarism is our most promising path forward.”

Juan Manuel Martínez is a philosopher, lecturer, and researcher at the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira and Universidad de Caldas in Colombia, focusing on the philosophy of technology and the ethics of AI.

This paper introduces the HitHire governance framework, designed to ensure ethical, fair, and culturally grounded use of AI in recruitment, particularly within the context of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. As AI tools increasingly influence hiring decisions, concerns around bias, lack of transparency, and accountability continue to grow. HitHire integrates global ethical principles, legal standards, and Islamic values into the design and oversight of recruitment technologies. It promotes fairness, transparency, and institutional responsibility while fostering trust and social justice. The framework provides practical guidance for developers, HR leaders, and policymakers working to align AI deployment with both innovation and equity. HitHire offers a scalable model for ethical AI adoption across the MENA region and other culturally diverse contexts.

“I was struck by how many recruitment AI systems overlook intersectional bias, especially in contexts like Saudi Arabia, where gender and nationality interact uniquely. HitHire doesn’t just detect bias, but it actively respects diversity goals set by initiatives like Vision 2030.” Elham Albaroudi

Dr. Elham Albaroudi is a PhD candidate at the University of Salford, specializing in AI governance and data science.

Dr. Taha Mansouri is a Lecturer in AI at the University of Salford, focusing on computer vision, large multimodal models, explainable AI, and AI ethics.

Mr. Mohammad Hatamleh is Executive Director at Bariah Business Company, with over a decade of experience in digital strategy, AI, and data consulting across the MENA region.

Dr. Ali Alameer is a Lecturer in AI at the University of Salford whose research focuses on ethical and trustworthy AI, computer vision, and large vision and language models.