IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsoctx/v15y2025i3p62-d1606530.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries?

Author

Listed:
  • Remus Runcan

    (Centre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

  • Vasile Hațegan

    (Centre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

  • Ovidiu Toderici

    (Centre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

  • Gabriel Croitoru

    (Centre for Economic Research and Consultancy, Faculty of Economics, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

  • Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean

    (Centre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

  • Lavinia Denisia Cuc

    (Centre for Economic Research and Consultancy, Faculty of Economics, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

  • Dana Rad

    (Centre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

  • Alina Costin

    (Centre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

  • Tiberiu Dughi

    (Centre of Research Development and Innovation in Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310032 Arad, Romania)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Remus Runcan & Vasile Hațegan & Ovidiu Toderici & Gabriel Croitoru & Mihaela Gavrila-Ardelean & Lavinia Denisia Cuc & Dana Rad & Alina Costin & Tiberiu Dughi, 2025. "Ethical AI in Social Sciences Research: Are We Gatekeepers or Revolutionaries?," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:62-:d:1606530
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/3/62/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/3/62/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:62-:d:1606530. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.