The Ethical Implications of Using ChatGPT in Education

Attitudes of Sociology Students in Croatia from the Perspective of the Sociology of Risk

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the attitudes of sociology students in the Republicvof Croatia towards the ethical implications of using artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT, in education and studying, applying the theory of the risk sociology. The research focuses on understanding students’ perceptions of ethical risks and uncertainties associated with the use of AI technology in the educational context, with particular emphasis on potential misuse. The study was conducted on a non-probabilistic sample of 155 undergraduate and graduate sociology students from five universities in Croatia (Faculty of Croatian Studies at the University of Zagreb, the Catholic University of Croatia, and the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, Osijek, Zadar, and Split). The practical implications of this exploratory research include preliminary insights into the attitudes of sociology students towards the ethical challenges of using AI tools (specifically ChatGPT) for educational purposes, which will serve as a basis for developing future measurement instruments. Moreover, these insights will be valuable to universities as they create or revise ethical guidelines within the academic community regarding the use of AI technologies.