Ethical Dilemmas in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

New tech tools are changing how we live and work. These tools can think, learn, and make choices in ways that seem smart. But they also create new questions about what is right and wrong. This is true in India, just as it is around the world. Let’s look at the key ethical issues we face as artificial intelligence continues to evolve.

Ethical dilemmas in the age of AI

Privacy concerns

When we use new tech tools, we often share our data:

• Our phones track where we go. Apps know our location, even when we’re not using them.
• Our online actions are recorded. What we search for and look at builds a picture of who we are.
• Our words and images are stored. The things we say and share may be kept for years.

In India, where phone use has grown fast, but privacy laws are still catching up, these issues matter a lot. Many people don’t know how much of their data is being collected.

Bias and fairness

Tech tools learn from past data. This creates unique problems:

• Systems may treat some groups unfairly. If past data shows bias, new systems may copy this bias.
• Hiring tools might favour certain people. Jobs may go to those who match past hiring patterns.
• Loan systems may deny worthy applicants. People who don’t fit the usual pattern may be rejected.

In India’s diverse society, with many languages, castes, and backgrounds, these biases can deepen divides that already exist.

Job displacement

New tools can do tasks once done by people:

• Routine jobs may disappear first. Work that follows set patterns is easy to automate.
• Even skilled work faces changes. Some tasks done by doctors and lawyers can now be done by machines.
• New jobs will appear, but not for everyone. Some people will struggle to find new roles.

For India, with its large young workforce and many people in service roles, this shift could create social challenges.

Control and decision-making

Who decides when machines make choices?

• Systems now help judges set bail. Should a computer help decide who stays in jail?
• Doctor tools suggest treatments. How much should doctors rely on these suggestions?
• Self-driving vehicles make life-or-death choices. How do we program them to decide who to protect?

In India, where access to tech varies widely between urban and rural areas, some people may be subject to decisions made by systems they don’t understand or can’t question.

Security risks

New problems come with new tools:

• Systems can be tricked. Bad actors can fool smart systems in ways they couldn’t fool humans.
• Tech can be used for scams. Fake voices and images look and sound real.
• Critical systems could be attacked. Power grids, water systems, and banks rely on networks that can be hacked.

India has seen a rise in tech scams targeting the elderly and those new to technology. These risks will grow as more systems become connected.

Accountability questions

When things go wrong, who is to blame?

• Is it the company that made the system? They designed it, but may not have foreseen all uses.
• Is it the user who applied it? They chose to use it, but may not understand how it works.
• Is it the system itself? As systems get more complex, their actions become harder to predict.

India’s legal system is still developing frameworks for these questions. Cases may take years to resolve.

Truth and authenticity

It’s getting harder to know what’s real:

• Fake videos look very real. “Deepfakes” can make it seem like someone said or did something they didn’t.
• Fake texts sound human-written. Articles, reviews, and messages can be created by machines.
• Facts become harder to verify. When anyone can create convincing fake content, trust erodes.

In India, where WhatsApp and social media are major news sources for many, these issues can fuel social tensions.

The surveillance society

We are watched more than ever:

• Cameras track public movements. City CCTV systems record who goes where.
• Online actions are monitored. Companies and governments can see what we do online.
• Systems recognise our faces. Even in crowds, we can be identified.

India is rolling out some of the world’s largest digital ID and surveillance systems. This creates both benefits and risks for its citizens.

The concentration of power

Tech giants have growing influence:

• A few companies control key platforms. Decisions made in far-off offices affect millions of Indians.
• Data means power. Those who collect data gain insights and advantages.
• Tech knowledge is not equally shared. Some understand these systems, while many don’t.

For India, which values digital sovereignty, this raises questions about who shapes the nation’s tech future.

Human dignity and agency

Core values are at stake:

• People may be reduced to data points. Complex human lives become simplified profiles.
• Systems make choices for us. Recommendations narrow what we see and choose.
• Human judgment may be devalued. Skills built over the years may seem less important.

In India’s tradition-rich culture, finding a balance between tech efficiency and human values is especially important.

Balancing innovation and ethics

We need thoughtful approaches:

• Rules must guide development. But rules that are too strict might block helpful tools.
• Global cooperation matters. No one country can set all the standards.
• Education must evolve. People need to understand these systems to use them wisely.

India can play a key role here, with its large tech workforce and growing global influence.

Ethical frameworks for businesses

Companies face new responsibilities:

• Ethics by design is essential. Values must be built in from the start.
• Testing must go beyond function. Systems should be checked for hidden biases or risks.
• Ongoing monitoring is needed. Problems may only appear after systems are in use.

Many Indian tech firms are now creating ethics committees and frameworks to address these challenges.

The NBFC sector in India faces unique ethical questions as it adopts new tech. When using automated credit scoring to extend loans to underserved populations, these institutions must balance efficiency with fairness, ensuring that worthy borrowers without traditional credit histories aren’t unfairly excluded.

The online marketplace industry must navigate its own ethical maze with systems that recommend products, rank sellers, and set prices. Indian consumers deserve transparency about how these decisions are made, particularly when algorithms might favour certain products or sellers in ways that aren’t obvious to shoppers browsing these platforms.