Key points
- Facial recognition and hiring show algorithmic bias
- Data benefits concentrated among few global firms
- Inclusive governance needed for ethical AI deployment
ISLAMABAD: As artificial intelligence systems become more deeply embedded in global societies, questions about ethics are growing louder—particularly in a world marked by deep economic, racial, and political inequalities. While AI promises efficiency and innovation, critics warn that it may also reinforce existing power imbalances if ethical concerns are not addressed.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), many AI systems risk reproducing discrimination because they are trained on biased data and developed largely in wealthy countries. In its Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, UNESCO cautions that without safeguards, AI could exacerbate inequalities between and within nations, particularly affecting marginalised communities.
Concerns over bias have already emerged in areas such as facial recognition, predictive policing, and automated hiring. Studies have shown that some facial recognition tools perform less accurately on women and people of colour, raising fears of wrongful surveillance or exclusion. In the workplace, AI-driven recruitment systems may disadvantage candidates from the Global South if algorithms prioritise Western educational or professional markers.
AI systems
The ethical debate also extends to data extraction. Much of the data used to train AI systems comes from users worldwide, yet the economic benefits are concentrated among a small number of technology firms, primarily based in the United States and China. Critics describe this imbalance as a form of “digital colonialism,” where value flows from poorer regions to wealthier ones without adequate compensation or control.
Governments and international bodies are increasingly calling for inclusive AI governance. Proposals include greater transparency in algorithmic decision-making, stronger data protection laws, and meaningful participation of developing countries in setting global standards.
As AI adoption accelerates, experts argue that ethics cannot be treated as an afterthought. Whether artificial intelligence can truly be ethical, they say, depends not only on technical design but on addressing the broader social and economic inequalities that shape how the technology is built, deployed, and governed worldwide.
