Ethical and Responsible Use of AI in Education: Insights from Bibliometrics

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research on the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Using 699 peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in Scopus (1998–2025), the review examines publication trends, leading contributors, influential sources, collaboration patterns, and the conceptual structure of the field. Findings show a rapid rise in research output beginning in 2019 and peaking in 2024, driven largely by scholars in the United States, United Kingdom, China, Spain, and Australia. Co-citation and keyword analyses reveal three central knowledge domains: technological foundations, educational, and ethical frameworks emphasizing transparency, privacy, fairness, and responsibility. Despite this strong conceptual base, practice-oriented areas such as teacher training, professional development, and classroom-level implementation remain underexplored. The study highlights the need for broader global participation, stronger interdisciplinary collaboration, and more empirical work examining how ethical principles operate in real educational contexts. These insights offer direction for advancing responsible and inclusive AI integration in education.