Lawful But Awful: The Ethics of AI in Surveillance

by Sarah Zadeh

Artificial Intelligence is transforming surveillance, allowing governments to monitor populations with unprecedented efficiency. This has led to what some ethicists call a "lawful but awful" dilemma: many uses of AI surveillance may be legal under current frameworks, but they raise serious ethical concerns about privacy, fairness, and accountability. Governments often justify AI surveillance in the name of public safety and national security, yet these justifications can slide into forms of mass surveillance that threaten civil liberties. Examples like China's extensive facial recognition infrastructure and U.S. border control systems using opaque algorithms underscore the global scope of these issues. Ethical concerns include who is accountable for decisions made by AI systems, and how to ensure meaningful human oversight. International bodies such as the EU's High-Level Expert Group on AI and UNESCO have developed ethical frameworks calling for transparency, fairness, and respect for fundamental rights. This presentation explores the challenges and regulatory efforts needed to ensure AI surveillance aligns with ethical values.