AI and Privacy: Ethical Concerns in Data Collection and Surveillance

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved the process of data collection and surveillance, which could lead to a breach in privacy. As this technology gains a foothold in both private and public sectors, the lines around best practices for using personal information are becoming increasingly blurry. This paper examines the ethics of AI for data collection and surveillance, namely considering questions like informed consent and transparency. However, it observes that there are few debates about how such systems might be abused in state or corporate surveillance. This study aims to address the tension between technological innovation and individual privacy rights by conducting a broad analysis of literature in technology, as well as analyzing current frameworks from the legal perspective. The results of this study suggest that privacy tends to take a backseat when compared with security requirements. Therefore, AI builders and policymakers should work together to develop strong and effective privacy measures. The conversation also delves into the larger implications of AI surveillance for individual freedom and communal trust, suggesting measures to accommodate ethical deployments in the future.