How do Communicators in Social Change Organisations Navigate the Use of Artificial Intelligence? : A Thematic Analysis Through the Lens of Ethical Storytelling

Abstract: The increasing accessibility and sophistication of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in generating high-quality images and texts presents opportunities, risks, and ethical dilemmas in the Communication about Development (ComDev) sector. This dissertation asks: how do ComDev professionals navigate the ethics of using AI to create visual and written content to raise funds and motivate action on global social issues? Drawing on the idea that AI ethics cannot be understood or achieved independent of a broader ethical structure, the project develops a theoretical framework of ethical storytelling, suggesting this can be successfully applied to AI and non-AI-generated content. Based on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of the resulting transcript, findings can broadly be categorised into concerns regarding intentional manipulation and misleading through the use of AI tools, as well as unintentional harm caused by biased models and outputs. The participants' reflections revealed an interest in and concern with ethical storytelling. The way in which these ethical concerns and proposed strategies for mitigation are navigated supports the thesis that the same ethical storytelling framework can be applied to content creation and outputs regardless of the techniques used to generate it. The findings illustrate a tension between ethical storytelling and practical considerations related to fundraising experienced by ComDev professionals as they consider the risks and opportunities of this emerging technology. This conclusion contributes to, and supports findings within, an existing body of research on how people working in this sector navigate the complexities and ethical dilemmas of their work.