University students who view artificial intelligence through the lens of ethics and social good may be more effective at planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning with the technology, according to new research. The study found that students’ perceived autonomy and critical thinking directly predicted self-regulated learning with AI. Their beliefs about responsible AI use and its potential social benefits also helped explain those relationships. A generally positive attitude toward AI did not significantly predict self-regulated learning in the researchers’ statistical model. The finding suggests that enthusiasm for AI tools is not, by itself, enough to help students use them effectively for learning. Published in TechTrends, the study involved 333 art and design students who completed a one-week ChatGPT workshop before answering questions about autonomy, critical thinking, AI ethics, social good, attitudes toward AI, and their learning behaviors.