ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SOCIETY

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence has become one of the most significant transformative technologies of the twenty-first century, infiltrating literally all spheres of human activity, including the diagnostic laboratories of the healthcare sector to the deliberative chambers of the government. However, its prodigal career has also unravelled a canvas of ethical, legal and social conflicts. This paper attempts to question the numerous ethical consequences that AI introduces to society, especially the issue of algorithmic bias, data privacy, responsibility in authority-train decision-making, labour displacements, and the ethical responsibility that falls on both developers and policymakers. Based on the modern literature that compares classical ethical theories, namely deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics, with the demands of AI regulation, I shed light on how unregulated systems can enhance inequalities, reinforce stereotypes, and undermine human agency. On the other hand, through the application of strong ethical principles and open governance, AI can be used to enhance social good, encourage equality, and speed up innovation in the world. The main lessons that emerge out of this question are the urgent need to develop a new, interdisciplinary ethical framework that combines legal regulation, moral reasoning and technical design criteria, thus protecting fairness, accountability and a human-oriented course of development. I would like to say that this contribution adds to the current discussion on responsible AI, outlining the directions to strike a balance between technological progress and social welfare and moral values.