The rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is transforming pedagogical practices, particularly in Distance Education and e-Learning (EDeL). The rise of generative AI introduces new opportunities for content personalization, automation, and learner support; although it also presents complex ethical challenges. This study investigates how generative AI impacts the ethical dimension of teachers’ digital competence, emphasizing the need for critical and reflective engagement. This article introduces a brief historical overview of AI use in education and examine how the shift to autonomous content-generation systems intensifies concerns around teacher autonomy, data governance, and algorithmic fairness. Using a qualitative methodology, we conducted a thematic analysis of international frameworks and academic publications from 2019 to 2025. The findings identify ten ethical imperatives, including algorithmic transparency, bias mitigation, and responsible data handling. Grounded in recent literature on AI literacy and digital ethics, the study highlights the need to expand digital competence beyond technical skills. Finally, the article proposes actionable recommendations for educational institutions and policymakers, including the incorporation of AI ethics into teacher training curricula, the creation of governance frameworks, and the implementation of oversight mechanisms. This work contributes to the field by offering a structured approach to the ethical preparation of educators in the age of generative AI.

Keywords: Digital Competence, Online Education, Educational Ethics, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Teacher Training, Educational Governance.