Measuring attitudes toward responsible AI in engineering – development and validation of the RAISE scale

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies increasingly shape the field of
engineering, ethical considerations are becoming essential for fostering
responsible innovation. However, a validated instrument to assess
attitudes toward Responsible AI, specifically in the engineering domain,
is still missing to date. This study presents the development and
validation of the Responsible AI Attitudes Specific to Engineering
(RAISE) scale. After refining the item pool of a validated test instrument
with expert input from the engineering domain, we conducted
confirmatory factor analysis on data from 235 engineering students and
professionals in Germany. The resulting 15-item scale measures
engineers’ self-reported attitudes along three core Responsible AI
dimensions: do-no-harm, transparency, and privacy. It demonstrates
acceptable model fit, internal consistency, and measurement invariance
across demographic groups. The RAISE scale can serve as a diagnostic
and evaluative tool in engineering education and training programmes,
helping to inform and assess efforts to foster Responsible AI engagement.