ABSTRACT As the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) systems grows in daily life, there is a need to assess how users interact with these tools in socially and ethically informed ways. This study introduces a multidimensional scale to measure socio‐ethical AI engagement competencies, reflecting users' ability to evaluate, interpret, and ethically use AI‐generated content, and to critically consider its broader social impacts and power dynamics. Drawing from interdisciplinary frameworks in AI literacy, self‐efficacy, and AI ethics, we constructed an initial item pool related to social and ethical engagement. Responses from 200 participants to an 18‐item instrument were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to capture four dimensions: critical appraisal, critical comprehension, ethical behavior, and anthropomorphic interaction. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency. This work contributes to a theoretically grounded and empirically supported instrument for assessing critical and ethical engagement with GenAI, which has implications for AI literacy, responsible technology use, and curriculum design.
Kong et al. (Wed,) studied this question.