<p>This paper applies Bourdieu's concept of habitus to examine how cultural values underpin ethical decision-making in the development of AI and points out the possible risks of unregulated AI systems. It illustrates the delicate balance between cultural beliefs and regulatory directives to ensure that ethical AI can really be developed. Building on Bourdieu’s habitus theory and emphasising Emirati cultural traditions and Islamic principles as the grounds for ethical adoption of AI technologies to youth activities in the UAE, the paper introduces reverse transformative habitus as an innovative theoretical construct applicable to the subtleties of social contexts. The paper specifically focuses on generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and similar large language models, that are widely used in educational and public settings, where cultural safeguards and ethical engagement are especially needed. The study further argues that young Emirati students and future developers of AI must carry Emirati values such as privacy, accountability, transparency, fairness and honesty within schools to regulate how they interact with AI technology. The paper concludes with a suggested cultural framework for developing ethical AI in the United Arab Emirates, which can serve as a model for other Arab and Muslim nations with similar ethical systems. It calls for establishing an ethical framework that reconciles differing cultural values and regulatory models to realise effective and culturally congruent integration of AI.</p>