Artificial Intelligence in English Classrooms: Ethical Pathways in Indian Higher Education

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping higher education worldwide, with India emerging as a particularly dynamic context. Undergraduate English classrooms have become key sites for experimenting with grammar checkers, paraphrasing platforms, and generative Chabot’s. While these tools offer efficiency, personalization, and linguistic support, they also raise ethical and pedagogical concerns. This paper examines pathways for responsibly integrating AI into English classrooms, with a focus on degree colleges in Bangalore. Drawing on literature review, classroom reflections, and teacher discussions, the study finds that AI can enhance feedback, multilingual assistance, and student engagement but risks promoting academic dishonesty, bias, privacy violations, and teacher deskilling. The paper argues for shifting from automation to augmentation, positioning AI as a complement to teachers. Ethical integration requires teacher mediation, critical digital literacy, and culturally sensitive practices that honour India’s multilingual realities. Ultimately, AI can accelerate learning but cannot replace human intelligence, creativity, or the relational bonds central to education.