Towards a Practical Ethics of Generative AI in Creative Production Processes

Ethical responsibility extends beyond developers to creative users: The paper shifts focus from technology developers to designers and creative professionals who actually use AI tools, arguing that practical ethical considerations for end-users have been underexplored in AI ethics discussions.

A multi-theory ethical framework is more useful than single approaches: Rather than relying on one ethical theory, the authors propose drawing from six major ethical frameworks (virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism, contract theory, care ethics, and existentialism) to create an ethical "compass" that helps navigate complex decisions in creative AI use.

Ethical reflection should be integrated throughout the creative process: The framework emphasizes that responsibility, anticipation, and reflection need to occur continuously across both the AI lifecycle and each stage of the creative design process (such as the Double Diamond model), rather than being treated as a one-time consideration.

Playful exploration and ethical principles can coexist: The paper argues that designers don't need to choose between creative freedom and ethical responsibility—adopting a "playful and exploratory approach to AI" while remaining grounded in core ethical principles allows for responsible innovation without stifling creativity.

Context-specific ethical guidance is needed for creative domains: The paper suggests that generic AI ethics guidance is insufficient; creative professionals need frameworks tailored to their specific workflows and decision-making processes.