The ethics and politics of GenAI policy: a comparative international study of postsecondary student perspectives

Robert McGray and Rahul Kumar

Chapter 7 in A Research Agenda for Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity, 2026, pp 97-105 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Drawing on data from 1,050 respondents in 29 countries, this chapter examines how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) challenges postsecondary students’ understandings of ethics and policy in academic work. Students reported widespread tensions over authorship, transparency, ownership, algorithmic bias, and data privacy, alongside frustration with institutional “policy silence.” While some participants viewed GenAI as a threat to learning, others described it as a pragmatic tool for organization, efficiency, and accessibility. The majority used GenAI and anticipated continued use, framing it as an inevitable part of their academic futures. These divergent views fueled calls for clearer institutional policies, national regulation, and even legal frameworks. The chapter argues that the multi-actor, multi-level character of GenAI governance differs markedly from traditional academic policies. To conceptualize this complexity, it applies the framework of “policy constellations,” highlighting how networks of actors with differing values and interests are shaping the ethics and politics of GenAI regulation.

Keywords: GenAI; Postsecondary students; Policy analysis; Postsecondary education; ChatGPT; Generative artificial intelligence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035343638
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