Algorithmic Bias

Artificial Intelligence has become deeply integrated into contemporary social, economic, educational, commercial, and cultural life, transforming the ways individuals work, communicate, consume information, and make decisions. This article examines the expanding influence of AI and the ethical concerns emerging from its increasing integration into everyday life. While AI offers significant benefits through improved efficiency, predictive analysis, personalized services, innovation, and enhanced decision making, its growing ability to anticipate and influence human preferences raises important questions about autonomy and individual choice. Algorithmic systems increasingly shape consumption patterns, media preferences, communication, and social behaviour through data driven recommendations and targeted content. The article further explores concerns relating to algorithmic bias, stereotyping, privacy, surveillance, data mining, copyright, manipulation, and the misuse of personal information. The interaction between AI, social media, and commercial platforms can intensify existing inequalities and influence perceptions, preferences, and beliefs. These developments highlight the need for greater transparency, accountability, fairness, inclusivity, and protection of personal data. The article argues that AI development should remain human centred and prioritize the wellbeing, rights, and autonomy of users rather than purely commercial objectives. Developers, researchers, industries, academic institutions, governments, and civil society all have an important role in establishing ethical safeguards and responsible practices. Strong monitoring mechanisms, ethical oversight, digital literacy, and institutional accountability are essential to ensure that AI remains a tool for human advancement rather than a mechanism for exploitation, manipulation, or exclusion.

This editorial examines the expanding influence of artificial intelligence on contemporary social, professional, cultural, and environmental life. It considers both the opportunities and risks associated with the rapid development and normalization of AI, with particular attention to human connection, critical thinking, artistic expression, employment, algorithmic bias, discrimination, and environmental sustainability. The discussion highlights concerns surrounding dependence on personalized AI systems, the reproduction of biases through data driven algorithms, the growing resource demands of data centres, and the changing nature of employment in an increasingly technology driven economy. Alongside these contemporary concerns, the issue of the Indian Journal of Social Enquiry presents a diverse collection of scholarly contributions addressing education, history, democracy, gender, environmental movements, public finance, literature, ecology, and community based conservation. The featured studies examine theatre based education, the historical contribution of Zorawar Singh, democratic legitimacy among youth in Nepal and Sri Lanka, ecofeminist interpretations of Indian environmental movements, the fiscal impact of GST in Gujarat, poetry and ecological conflict in Northeast India, and community conserved areas. Collectively, the issue encourages critical social enquiry by connecting contemporary challenges with historical experiences and emerging perspectives on progress, development, citizenship, culture, and sustainability.