How AI Affects Vulnerable People: Opportunities, Risks, And Ethical Implications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a part of our daily lives, from assisting within the healthcare and education sectors to law enforcement and social services.

While these advances are likely to bring significant benefits, they also raise complex ethical concerns, especially for vulnerable populations including the elderly, people with disabilities, children, low-income communities, and individuals with limited digital literacy.

There is growing evidence that AI technologies are being misused in harmful ways, e.g. the use of Deepfakes (AI-generated videos and images) and some AI-powered chatbots, which have been documented as contributing to the exposure of young individuals to inappropriate or potentially harmful online matters.