Mid Sweden University

This presentation introduces a normative framework for analysing responsibility in educational contexts where artificial intelligence (AI) plays a role in decision-making, assessment, or pedagogical design. The study focuses on preschool teacher education within higher education, where future educators are increasingly expected to engage with AI technologies in an ethically sound and developmentally appropriate manner. Drawing on Ariansen's (1993) five-part ethical framework, which includes: (a) responsibility agent, (b) responsibility object, (c) area of responsibility, (d) responsibility condition, and (e) responsibility actions. This framework is used to explore how moral accountability can be understood and distributed in sociotechnical systems, particularly in relation to the ethical challenges posed by AI in early childhood education (ECE). Methodologically, the study employs asynchronous email interviews with programme directors responsible for preschool teacher education in Sweden. This approach was chosen for its flexibility and suitability for participants with demanding schedules and dispersed geographical locations (Dahlin, 2021; Meho, 2006). The semi-structured interviews allow for reflective responses and are analysed collaboratively by the research team using thematic coding and investigator triangulation (Patton, 2019). The interviews aim to capture experiences and ethical reflections on how AI is interpreted, included, or excluded in curriculum decisions. This study builds upon a conference paper in which the curriculum of preschool programmes at 8 universities was examined for mentions of AI, revealing that it was never explicitly mentioned (Ljungcrantz et al., 2025).This study contributes to Nordic educational research by examining the intersection of ethics, technology, and teacher education in a context where preschool is a formal part of the education system from the age of one. It aligns with Nordic traditions of relational pedagogy, child-centred education, and professional autonomy, while responding to global shifts in digitalisation and AI governance. The framework offers a tool for ethical reflection and curriculum development, supporting institutions in preparing future preschool teachers to critically engage with AI in ways that uphold children's rights and educational values.