# The generative AI ethics landscape as seen by Chinese middle school students

## TL;DR

A study explores Chinese middle school students' views on AI ethics, finding they most agree with beneficence and autonomy.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence on ethical perspectives of Chinese middle school students toward generative AI.

## Key findings

- Students showed highest agreement with 'beneficence' and 'autonomy' AI ethical principles.
- Independent AI use and family discussions correlated with higher ethical agreement.
- Qualitative analysis revealed themes in students' ethical reasoning about AI.

## Abstract

With the rapid integration of Generative AI in education, understanding students' ethical perspectives is crucial for effective AI ethics education. Five hundred and ninety four middle school students' agreement levels on five AI ethical principles (beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, autonomy, explicability) adapted from previous research, and the rationales underlying their choices were investigated using a questionnaire. Results showed that students expressed the highest agreement with “beneficence” and “autonomy,” though overall responses leaned toward neutrality. Independent AI use and family discussions predicted higher agreement; urban-rural differences were non-significant. Qualitative analysis identified themes in students' ethical reasoning. These findings offer evidence-based guidance for adolescent AI ethics education.