Ethical Concern in Marketing: Addressing the Gap in Ethical Ai - Driven Consumer Targeting

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into marketing strategies has amplified ethical concerns, particularly in consumer targeting. While AI enhances personalization and efficiency, gaps persist between technological capabilities and ethical frameworks. This paper examines ethical challenges—including algorithmic bias, privacy violations, transparency deficits, and accountability gaps in AI-driven consumer targeting. Through a systematic literature review, it identifies critical research gaps, such as the absence of standardized ethical frameworks, regulatory lag, and insufficient consumer-centric studies. The study proposes actionable recommendations for bridging these gaps, emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaboration, dynamic governance models, and consumer empowerment.