Navigating Ethical Complexities in Educational AI: A Systematic Review of Generative Chatbot Integration in Teaching and Learning

This systematic literature review investigates the ethical challenges associated with the integration of generative chatbots within educational contexts. Guided by the PRISMA framework, the review synthesises empirical and theoretical research published between 2022 and 2025, with a focus on higher education and school-based settings. It identifies four primary ethical domains: student data privacy, academic integrity (including AI-assisted plagiarism), algorithmic bias, and institutional governance. The findings reveal that while generative chatbots present considerable pedagogical opportunities, such as enhanced feedback, personalised learning, and expanded access to support their unregulated deployment may intensify digital inequities, undermine ethical norms, and compromise educational integrity. The review concludes with a set of recommendations for responsible adoption, including the development of transparent institutional policies, investment in educator training, and the promotion of equitable digital infrastructure to ensure ethical and inclusive use of generative AI technologies in education.