Effects of Artificial Intelligence on the Professional Ethics of Administrative Staff of Public Polytechnics in Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyzed the effects of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies on the professional ethics of administrative staff of public polytechnics in Southwest, Nigeria. Based on descriptive research design data were collected from a validated questionnaire filled out by 355 administrative staff drawn from an estimated population of three thousand, two hundred and forty staff. Under the adopted explanatory research design, the investigation made use of descriptive statistical techniques, one-way ANOVA, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for public polytechnics in Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos States. The results AI utilization is moderate (mean = 3.42) and balanced with high levels of ethical compliance (mean = 4.15). The ANOVA approach demonstrated multiple ranges of ethical compliance derived from AI-intensity clusters (F = 5.47, p = 0.005). SEM results validate the reality of AI use having an impact on ethical compliance (β = 0.32, z = 3.09, P > z = 0.002) and an even greater impact when total effects were calculated, including indirect effect through organizational culture and digital literacy (β ≈ 0.59). Thus, the results show that the use of AI complemented with ethical and accountability frameworks promotes ethical compliance and accountability of organizational staff. Therefore, the use of AI, when partnered with training and governance, improves the organization's integrity and the quality of the services provided. The study recommends the need to promote AI-ethics governance, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building to preserve ethical gains and counteract the associated risks.