Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries?
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) in social sciences research introduces both transformative potential and critical ethical dilemmas. This study examines the role of researchers as either ethical gatekeepers or pioneers of AI-driven change. Through a bibliometric analysis of 464 re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Societies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/3/62 |
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| author | Remus Runcan Vasile Hațegan Ovidiu Toderici Gabriel Croitoru Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean Lavinia Denisia Cuc Dana Rad Alina Costin Tiberiu Dughi |
| author_facet | Remus Runcan Vasile Hațegan Ovidiu Toderici Gabriel Croitoru Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean Lavinia Denisia Cuc Dana Rad Alina Costin Tiberiu Dughi |
| author_sort | Remus Runcan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) in social sciences research introduces both transformative potential and critical ethical dilemmas. This study examines the role of researchers as either ethical gatekeepers or pioneers of AI-driven change. Through a bibliometric analysis of 464 records from the Web of Science Core Collection, we identify key themes in ethical AI discourse using VOSviewer Version 1.6.20. The findings highlight dominant ethical concerns, including governance, bias, transparency, and fairness, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaborations and responsible AI frameworks. While AI offers efficiency and scalability in research, unresolved issues related to algorithmic bias, governance, and public trust persist. The overlay visualization underscores emerging trends such as generative AI, policy-driven governance, and ethical accountability frameworks. This study calls for a shift from passive oversight to proactive ethical stewardship in AI-driven social science research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8cdbd066bf0c4627b2dd5a3f9c3fca21 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj-art-8cdbd066bf0c4627b2dd5a3f9c3fca212025-08-20T02:43:07ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982025-03-011536210.3390/soc15030062Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries?Remus Runcan0Vasile Hațegan1Ovidiu Toderici2Gabriel Croitoru3Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean4Lavinia Denisia Cuc5Dana Rad6Alina Costin7Tiberiu Dughi8Centre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaCentre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaCentre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaCentre for Economic Research and Consultancy, Faculty of Economics, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaCentre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaCentre for Economic Research and Consultancy, Faculty of Economics, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaCentre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaCentre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaCentre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, RomaniaThe rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) in social sciences research introduces both transformative potential and critical ethical dilemmas. This study examines the role of researchers as either ethical gatekeepers or pioneers of AI-driven change. Through a bibliometric analysis of 464 records from the Web of Science Core Collection, we identify key themes in ethical AI discourse using VOSviewer Version 1.6.20. The findings highlight dominant ethical concerns, including governance, bias, transparency, and fairness, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaborations and responsible AI frameworks. While AI offers efficiency and scalability in research, unresolved issues related to algorithmic bias, governance, and public trust persist. The overlay visualization underscores emerging trends such as generative AI, policy-driven governance, and ethical accountability frameworks. This study calls for a shift from passive oversight to proactive ethical stewardship in AI-driven social science research.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/3/62ethical AIsocial sciencesresponsible AIgovernancebiastransparency |
| spellingShingle | Remus Runcan Vasile Hațegan Ovidiu Toderici Gabriel Croitoru Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean Lavinia Denisia Cuc Dana Rad Alina Costin Tiberiu Dughi Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries? Societies ethical AI social sciences responsible AI governance bias transparency |
| title | Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries? |
| title_full | Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries? |
| title_fullStr | Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries? |
| title_short | Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries? |
| title_sort | ethical ai in social sciences research are we gatekeepers or revolutionaries |
| topic | ethical AI social sciences responsible AI governance bias transparency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/3/62 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT remusruncan ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries AT vasilehategan ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries AT ovidiutoderici ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries AT gabrielcroitoru ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries AT mihaelagavrilaardelean ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries AT laviniadenisiacuc ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries AT danarad ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries AT alinacostin ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries AT tiberiudughi ethicalaiinsocialsciencesresearcharewegatekeepersorrevolutionaries |