The ethical challenges of using artificial intelligence
AI literacy for higher education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35699/2237-5864.2026.58906Keywords:
paideia, education, ethicsAbstract
This article aims to present counterpoints regarding the technical and ethical directions of artificial intelligence and the adoption of new methodologies for citizen formation, starting from the Greek concept of paideia. It explains artificial intelligence technically as computational simulation and machine learning, contrasting this view with the common anthropomorphic mythification that poses ethical risks to human identity and responsibility. Using theoretical analysis and literature review, it argues that, despite the challenges, there is potential for the ethical use of artificial intelligence in education, such as in the development of artificial moral agents. In this context, artificial intelligence literacy emerges as fundamental in higher education, transcending technical knowledge to include critical evaluation, understanding of underlying principles, ethical, legal, equity, and care implications. This literacy connects to digital citizenship and Brazilian educational principles. It is concluded that artificial intelligence literacy is an essential pillar for a contemporary paideia, indispensable for guiding human development critically and responsibly in the face of emerging technologies.
Downloads
References
AITA, Keylla Maria de Sá Urtiga; LEAL, Lucas Borges; SILVA, Aline Montenegro Leal. Terapia Computacional: uma vivência voltada para o tratamento de pacientes com transtornos psíquicos mediado pela ferramenta Scratch. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE INFORMÁTICA NA EDUCAÇÃO, 9., 2020, Natal. Anais [...] Natal: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte/Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte; Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação, 2020, p. 419-428. Disponível em: https://sol.sbc.org.br/index.php/wie/article/view/12634/12501. Acesso em: 22 abr. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/cbie.wie.2020.419
ARISTÓTELES. Ética a Nicômaco. Tradução: Leonel Vallandro e Gerd Bornheim. 4. ed. São Paulo: Nova Cultural, 1991.
BALI, Maha. Critical AI Literacy is Not Enough: Introducing Care Literacy, Equity Literacy & Teaching Philosophies. A Slide Deck. Reflecting Allowed, 15 out. 2024. Disponível em: https://blog.mahabali.me/educational-technology-2/critical-ai-Literacy-is-not-enough-introducing-care-Literacy-equity-Literacy-teaching-philosophies-a-slide-deck/. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
BARTLETT, Lesley. Literacy’s verb: exploring what literacy is and what literacy does. International Journal of Educational Development, Amsterdã, v. 28, n. 6, p. 737-753, nov. 2008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJEDUDEV.2007.09.002. Disponível em: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738059307000831. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2007.09.002
BARTON, David; HAMILTON, Mary. Literacy practices. In: BARTON, David; HAMILTON, Mary; IVANIC, Roz (org.). Situated literacies: reading and writing in context. Londres: Routledge, 2000, p. 7-15.
BAWDEN, David. Information and digital literacies: a review of concepts. Journal of Documentation, Leeds, v. 57, n. 2, p. 218-259, 2001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000007083
BAWDEN, David. Origins and Concepts of Digital Literacy. In: LANKSHEAR, Colin; KNOBEL, Michele (org.). Digital literacies: concepts, policies and practices. New York: Peter Lang, 2008. p. 17-32. Disponível em: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=b6883b3ab0d8c172ccc2f4ac668de5d004a85da5. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
BHAT, Maalvika; LONG, Duri. Designing Interactive Explainable AI Tools for Algorithmic Literacy and Transparency. In: DIS ’24: DESIGNING INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS CONFERENCE, 2024, Copenhagen Denmark. Designing Interactive Systems Conference. Copenhagen Denmark: ACM, 2024. p. 939-957. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3643834.3660722. Disponível em: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3643834.3660722. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3643834.3660722
BRASIL. Constituição (1988). Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988. Brasília, DF: Presidência da República, [2026]. Disponível em: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao.htm. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
BRASIL. Decreto n° 11.556, de 12 de junho de 2023. Institui o Compromisso Nacional Criança Alfabetizada. Brasília, DF: Presidência da República, [2023]. Disponível em: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato2023-2026/2023/Decreto/D11556.htm. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
BRASIL. Decreto n° 9.765, de 11 de abril de 2019. Institui a Política Nacional de Alfabetização. Brasília, DF: Presidência da República, [2019]. Edição extra B. Disponível em: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2019-2022/2019/decreto/d9765.htm. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
BRASIL. Lei n° 9.394, de 20 de dezembro de 1996. Estabelece as diretrizes e bases da educação nacional. Brasília, DF: Presidência da República, [20--]. Disponível em: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l9394.htm. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
BRASIL. Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovações. Estratégia Brasileira de Inteligência Artificial (EBIA). Brasília, DF: MCTI, 2024. Disponível em: https://www.gov.br/mcti/pt-br/acompanhe-o-mcti/cct/legislacao/arquivos/IA_para_o_Bem_de_Todos.pdf. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
BROCHADO, Mariah. Inteligência artificial e ética: um diálogo com Lima Vaz. KRITERION, Belo Horizonte, v. 64, n. 154, abr. 2023a, p. 75-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-512X2023n15404mb. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/kriterion/article/view/38288. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-512x2023n15404mb
BROCHADO, Mariah. Inteligência artificial no horizonte da filosofia da tecnologia: técnica, ética e direito na era cybernética. São Paulo: Editora Dialética, 2023b. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48021/978-65-252-7454-6
BRUCE, Christine. The seven faces of information literacy. Adelaide: Auslib Press, 1997.
CASTRO, Tamara. Letramento e/ou literácia? Distinções e aproximações. São Paulo: Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Educação, Cultura e Arte Comunitária, 2019. Disponível em: https://profemarli.com/letramento-e-ou-literacia. Acesso em: 15 fev. 2025.
CONSELHO DA EUROPA. Digital citizenship education handbook. Estrasburgo: Conselho da Europa, 2022. Disponível em: https://rm.coe.int/prems-003222-gbr-2511-handbook-for-schools-16x24-2022-web-bat-1-/1680a67cab. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
CONSELHO DA EUROPA. The transformative power of education: universal values and civic renewal. Estrasburgo: Conselho da Europa, 2023. Disponível em: https://rm.coe.int/resolutions-26th-session-council-of-europe-standing-conference-of-mini/1680abee7f. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025.
GILSTER, Paul. Digital literacy. Nova York: Wiley, 1997.
HAN, Byung-Chul. No enxame: perspectivas do digital. Tradução: Lucas Machado. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2018.
HEGEL, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich. Fenomenologia do espírito: parte I. Tradução: Paulo Meneses e Karl-Heinz Efken. 2. ed. Petrópolis: Editora Vozes, 1992.
JAEGER, Werner. Paideia. A formação do homem grego. Tradução: Artur M. Parreira. São Paulo: Editora Herder, 1966.
JORNALNH. Toyota apresentou o Kirobo Mini, um pequenino robô destinado a fazer companhia a humanos solitários. Publicado pelo canal Jornal NH, 2016. 1 vídeo (1 min). Disponível em: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol5VoC9Feqc. Acesso em: 5 fev. 2026.
KAPP, Ernst. Grundlinien einer Philosophie der Technik: zur Entstehungsges¬chichte der Kultur aus neuen Gesichtspunkten (1877). Hamburgo: Felix Meiner Verlag, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.28937/978-3-7873-2821-5
LONG, Duri; MAGERKO, Brian. What is AI Literacy? Competencies and Design Considerations. In: CHI CONFERENCE ON HUMAN FACTORS IN COMPUTING SYSTEMS, 2020, Honolulu. Anais […] Honolulu: ACM, 2020, p. 1-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727. Disponível em: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3313831.3376727. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727
MCCARTHY, John; MINSKY, Marvin; ROCHESTER, Nathaniel; SHANNON, Claude Elwood. A proposal for the dartmouth summer research pro¬ject on artificial intelligence. Stanford: John McCarthy Archive, 1955. Disponível em: http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/history/dartmouth.html. Acesso em: 20 abr. 2025.
REALE, Giovanni. História da filosofia antiga. 10. ed. Tradução: Henrique C. de Lima Vaz e Marcelo Perine. São Paulo: Loyola, 1975.
REALE, Giovanni; ANTISERI, Dario. História da filosofia: antiguidade e idade média: volume I. Tradução: Álvaro Cunha. 3. ed. São Paulo: Paulus, 1990.
RICH, Elaine; KNIGHT, Kevin. Inteligência artificial. Tradução: Maria Cláudia Santos Ribeiro Ratto. São Paulo: Makron Books, 1993.
SMITH, Brian Cantwell. Age of significance. 2010. Disponível em: www.ageofsignificance.org. Acesso em: 20 abr. 2025.
SPENCER, Herbert. Consciousness under chloroform. Mind, Oxford, v. 3, n. 12, p. 555-558, 1878. Disponível em: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2246759?seq=1. Acesso em: 5 jul. 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/os-3.12.555
SPENCER, Herbert. The principles of psychology. 2. ed. Londres: Williams and Norgate, 1870. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/12297-000
TOURETZKY, David; GARDNER-MCCUNE, Christina; MARTIN, Fred; SEEHORN, Deborah. Envisioning AI for K-12: what should every child know about AI?. Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Washington, v. 33, n. 01, p. 9795-9799, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v33i01.33019795. Disponível em: https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/view/5053. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v33i01.33019795
UNESCO. The Plurality of Literacy and Its Implications for Policies and Programmes. UNESCO Education Sector Position Paper. Paris: UNESCO, 2004. Disponível em: https://rmportal.net/library/content/136246e-1.pdf. Acesso em: 30 abr. 2025.
VILAÇA, Murilo Mariano. Transumanismo: “placas de atenção” em um trajeto argumentativo. Physis: Revista de Saúde Coletiva, Rio de Janeiro, v. 32, n. 2, p. e320222, 2022. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0103-73312022320222. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/physis/i/2022.v32n2/. Acesso em: 30 abr. 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/s0103-73312022320222
WHITBY, Blay. Inteligência artificial: um guia para iniciantes. Tradução: Claudio Blanc. São Paulo: Madras, 2004.
ZIVIANI, Nívio. A quarta revolução tecnológica. Computação cognitiva e a humanização das máquinas. Fonte, Belo Horizonte, ano 14, n. 17, jul. 2017. Disponível em: https://homepages.dcc.ufmg.br/~nivio/papers/a-quarta-revolucao-industrial-fonte-julho2017.pdf. Acesso em: 20 abr. 2025.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mariah Brochado, Lucas Magno de Oliveira Porto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal retain the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which allows the sharing of work with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are authorized to take additional contracts separately, for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (e.g. publish in institutional repository or as a book chapter), with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Open access policy:
Revista Docência do Ensino Superior is an Open Access journal, which means that all content is available free of charge, at no cost to the user or their institution. Users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other legal purpose, without seeking prior permission from the publisher or author, provided they respect the license to use the Creative Commons used by the journal. This definition of open access is in line with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI).
