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Ethical AI in Unregulated Environments: A Qualitative Empirical Study

Elahi, Tawfique ; Srinivasa, Hema and Emruli, Blerim LU (2025) AMICS 2025
Abstract
This study investigates the incentives and barriers influencing AI ethics adoption in unregulated environments, drawing on semi‐structured interviews with AI professionals in Bangladesh. Our findings reveal that external pressures, such as international client requirements, drive companies to implement ethical measures, yielding both economic benefits and enhanced reputation. Conversely, tight deadlines, short-term ROI pressures, and weak local oversight hinder ethical practices, often leading to entrenched insecure methods that create negative algorithmic imprints. Our research empirically validates aspects of the Holistic Return on Ethics (HROE) framework, showing that ethical investments produce tangible and
intangible returns. The... (More)
This study investigates the incentives and barriers influencing AI ethics adoption in unregulated environments, drawing on semi‐structured interviews with AI professionals in Bangladesh. Our findings reveal that external pressures, such as international client requirements, drive companies to implement ethical measures, yielding both economic benefits and enhanced reputation. Conversely, tight deadlines, short-term ROI pressures, and weak local oversight hinder ethical practices, often leading to entrenched insecure methods that create negative algorithmic imprints. Our research empirically validates aspects of the Holistic Return on Ethics (HROE) framework, showing that ethical investments produce tangible and
intangible returns. The study also highlights that, in resource‐constrained settings, personal moral duty and managerial leadership significantly affect ethical decision-making. Our findings contribute to the literature by shedding light on how, in low-regulation contexts, AI practitioners pragmatically translate abstract ethical principles into operational practices shaped by incentives and constraints. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
AMCIS 2025 Proceedings
article number
1144
publisher
Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS)
conference name
AMICS 2025
conference location
Montreal, Canada
conference dates
2025-08-14 - 2025-08-16
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
edab5a2a-8cb4-4875-bc58-59d48baf9608
alternative location
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2025/sig_odis/sig_odis/25/
date added to LUP
2025-09-08 10:56:46
date last changed
2025-09-10 08:31:32
@inproceedings{edab5a2a-8cb4-4875-bc58-59d48baf9608,
  abstract     = {{This study investigates the incentives and barriers influencing AI ethics adoption in unregulated environments, drawing on semi‐structured interviews with AI professionals in Bangladesh. Our findings reveal that external pressures, such as international client requirements, drive companies to implement ethical measures, yielding both economic benefits and enhanced reputation. Conversely, tight deadlines, short-term ROI pressures, and weak local oversight hinder ethical practices, often leading to entrenched insecure methods that create negative algorithmic imprints. Our research empirically validates aspects of the Holistic Return on Ethics (HROE) framework, showing that ethical investments produce tangible and<br/>intangible returns. The study also highlights that, in resource‐constrained settings, personal moral duty and managerial leadership significantly affect ethical decision-making. Our findings contribute to the literature by shedding light on how, in low-regulation contexts, AI practitioners pragmatically translate abstract ethical principles into operational practices shaped by incentives and constraints.}},
  author       = {{Elahi, Tawfique and Srinivasa, Hema and Emruli, Blerim}},
  booktitle    = {{AMCIS 2025 Proceedings}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS)}},
  title        = {{Ethical AI in Unregulated Environments: A Qualitative Empirical Study}},
  url          = {{https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2025/sig_odis/sig_odis/25/}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}