A Participatory Strategy for AI Ethics in Education and Rehabilitation grounded in the Capability Approach
It addresses ethical and participatory gaps in AI adoption for vulnerable populations in education, though it is incremental in applying existing frameworks to a specific context.
The paper tackles the challenge of ethically integrating AI into inclusive education and rehabilitation for children with special needs by proposing a participatory strategy grounded in the Capability Approach, applied through a case study on the ARTIS Project to design an AI-enriched interface for text comprehension support.
AI-based technologies have significant potential to enhance inclusive education and clinical-rehabilitative contexts for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. AI can enhance learning experiences, empower students, and support both teachers and rehabilitators. However, their usage presents challenges that require a systemic-ecological vision, ethical considerations, and participatory research. Therefore, research and technological development must be rooted in a strong ethical-theoretical framework. The Capability Approach - a theoretical model of disability, human vulnerability, and inclusion - offers a more relevant perspective on functionality, effectiveness, and technological adequacy in inclusive learning environments. In this paper, we propose a participatory research strategy with different stakeholders through a case study on the ARTIS Project, which develops an AI-enriched interface to support children with text comprehension difficulties. Our research strategy integrates ethical, educational, clinical, and technological expertise in designing and implementing AI-based technologies for children's learning environments through focus groups and collaborative design sessions. We believe that this holistic approach to AI adoption in education can help bridge the gap between technological innovation and ethical responsibility.