EYES EVERYWHERE: ETHICAL CONSIDERATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN GOVERNANCE THROUGH FOUCAULT'S PANOPTICON LENS

This article aims to understand how the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in governance mirrors the core elements of the panopticon and to analyse the ethical implications of integrating AI into governance practices, mainly focusing on surveillance purposes through the lens of panopticon. The integration of AI has ushered in a transformative era for governance and surveillance. Focusing on ethical considerations is crucial to addressing the challenges of governance and ensuring its use for efficient governance in the future. This qualitative study uses content analysis to understand emerging ethical issues related to using AI in governance. This study mainly utilised secondary data in the form of research articles, books, newspapers, and so on. The panopticon approach is applied to map out the sensitivity of ethical issues in the AI-driven era. This article delves into the use of AI in governance through four subsections: data-driven decision-making, public interaction with government, public service delivery, and public safety and security, and concludes with an analysis of AI gaze as a watchful eye of social control or guiding light for future governance developments. This study focuses on a key alignment of technology and political science to design a more ethical and effective future of governance.