A Study on the Ethical Implications and Data Privacy Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Year : 2026 | Volume : 16 | Issue : 02 | Page : 01 13
By

Shardul Santosh Kolte,

Saurabh Sanjay Kumar,

Shirshendu Maitra,

  1. Research Scholar, Department MCA, Thakur Institute of Management Studies, Career Development & Research (TIMSCDR) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  2. Research Scholar, Department MCA, Thakur Institute of Management Studies, Career Development & Research (TIMSCDR) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
  3. Assistant Professor, Department MCA, Thakur Institute of Management Studies, Career Development & Research (TIMSCDR) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

The fast adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in areas like education, business, and everyday life comes with both tectonic and important ethical and data privacy issues. This paper examines the principle-practice divide between the ideals of the ethics as they are set and applied in the realities of AI implementation. The study is based on a mixed-methodology design, comprising of a quantitative survey of 52 participants and a qualitative study of four famous case studies, to survey the perceptions of the stakeholders and the sufficiency of existing regulatory frameworks, such as GDPR and the DPDP Act of India. Findings show that the respondents are in unison that AI is an issue of concern ethically, with data privacy being the most notable. A significant difference was determined to exist where the understanding of data protection laws does not generate trust in their effective application (p < 0.01). Although not all the survey data provided testimony to the point, case studies conducted qualitatively allowed establishing that absence of organizational and platform governance is a direct cause of privacy breaches. In addition, the study found that the transparency is an effective predictor of user trust (p < 0.001). The paper concludes that to solve this ethical dilemma, a multi-dimensional solution is necessary in implementing adaptive legal frameworks, strong governance, and clear AI design to make AI deployment responsible and trustworthy.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI), AI ethics, data privacy, algorithmic bias, AI governance, transparency

[This article belongs to Current Trends in Information Technology ]

How to cite this article: Shardul Santosh Kolte, Saurabh Sanjay Kumar, Shirshendu Maitra. A Study on the Ethical Implications and Data Privacy Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Current Trends in Information Technology. 2026; 16(02):01-13.
How to cite this URL: Shardul Santosh Kolte, Saurabh Sanjay Kumar, Shirshendu Maitra. A Study on the Ethical Implications and Data Privacy Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Current Trends in Information Technology. 2026; 16(02):01-13. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ctit/article=2026/view=247693

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Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 16
Issue 02
Received 10/03/2026
Accepted 09/06/2026
Published 26/06/2026
Publication Time 108 Days


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