The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Literature: Analyzing the Portrayal of AI in Science Fiction

Abstract

The ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) have become a central concern in contemporary technological discourse, yet public understanding of these issues is often shaped by fictional representations rather than real-world applications. This study examines how science fiction literature portrays the ethics of artificial intelligence and evaluates the relevance of these portrayals to contemporary AI governance and policy debates. Using a systematic review and mixed-methods content analysis, a diverse corpus of science fiction texts was analyzed to identify recurring ethical themes, AI typologies, narrative roles, and governance models. The results reveal that science fiction consistently foregrounds ethical concerns related to autonomy, control, surveillance, bias, moral responsibility, and human identity, often emphasizing dystopian or cautionary narratives. While speculative depictions frequently focus on superintelligent or anthropomorphic AI, many narratives also anticipate present-day ethical challenges such as algorithmic bias, mass surveillance, and accountability gaps. Quantitative analysis demonstrates a temporal shift in ethical focus, moving from early concerns about automation and control toward contemporary themes of governance, transparency, and human-centric AI. By systematically mapping these ethical representations, this study demonstrates that science fiction serves as a critical cultural space for ethical reflection, offering valuable insights that can inform responsible AI development and policy frameworks. The findings contribute to interdisciplinary scholarship by bridging literary analysis with applied AI ethics and regulatory discourse.