Author: Dr. Vinita Sharma
Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has moved from being a specialized technological field to becoming a major force shaping knowledge, education, governance, employment, healthcare, communication and everyday decision-making. The rapid expansion of generative AI creates not only technological opportunities but also fundamental philosophical questions: What is knowledge in an age of machine-generated information? Can an artificial system be regarded as intelligent in the same sense as a human being? Who is responsible when an algorithm causes harm? How should autonomy, dignity, justice, privacy and truth be protected in technologically mediated societies? This paper examines these questions through a philosophical framework combining contemporary AI ethics with selected insights from Indian and Western philosophy. The paper argues that AI should be understood as a powerful instrument rather than an independent moral agent, and that human responsibility cannot be transferred to an algorithm. It further proposes that Indian philosophical ideas concerning dharma, ahimsa, loka-sa?graha, self-restraint and the pursuit of knowledge can enrich contemporary debates on responsible technology. The paper concludes that ethical AI requires not merely technical accuracy but value-sensitive design, transparency, accountability, human oversight and an education that develops critical and moral judgment.
