Ethical frameworks for generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education: integrating Western and African perspectives

As GenAI tools become increasingly prevalent in educational settings, traditional Western ethical frameworks including deontological, consequentialist, and virtue ethics may prove insufficient to address the complex challenges that these technologies present, particularly in diverse cultural contexts. Our analysis shows that although Western ethical frameworks have increasingly aimed for integration, they still tend to prioritise individual autonomy and abstract reasoning. This focus may not fully address concerns such as cultural representation, linguistic dominance, and fair access to the benefits of technology. In contrast, Ubuntu ethics, which centres on communal relationships and the idea of “I am because we are,” offers valuable perspectives that can strengthen ethical approaches to AI (Mokoena in Verbum Ecclesia, 2024; Mugumbate and Chereni in Afr J Soc Work, 2020). Likewise, the Yoruba concept of Ọmọlúàbí provides a virtue-based framework that considers not only individual behaviour but also the moral role of the wider community. Through critical examination of empirical research documenting representational harms in AI systems and applications of Ubuntu in domains including health research and education, we synthesise Western and African ethical philosophies to identify transcultural ethical principles of relationality, community benefit and partnership, context sensitivity, virtue cultivation, rights and responsibilities, and desired outcomes. This demonstrates the potential for meaningful dialogue between ethical traditions, showing how African perspectives can enrich and extend Western approaches. The research advocates for a transcultural approach to GenAI ethics in education that balances both individual and communal values, while addressing real-world challenges such as algorithmic bias, language dominance, cultural misrepresentation, and fair access. We conclude that ongoing dialogue between Western and non-Western ethical traditions can support more inclusive and contextually aware applications of GenAI in higher education. This would help ensure that cultural diversity is respected, while also advancing shared ethical goals centred on human dignity and collective well-being.