UPSC GS-4 (Ethics)–oriented Case Studies on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Civil Services Examination
Case Studies on Artificial Intelligence
🟦 CASE STUDY 1: AI-BASED WELFARE BENEFICIARY SELECTION
Situation
A state government introduces an AI-based system to identify beneficiaries for a food security scheme.
The algorithm uses data such as income records, electricity usage, mobile data, and property ownership.
After implementation:
- Thousands of genuinely poor families are excluded.
- Many cannot understand why they were rejected.
- Officials claim AI improves efficiency and reduces corruption.
You are the District Collector receiving mass complaints.
Stakeholders
- Poor beneficiaries
- District administration
- State government
- AI developers
- Civil society organizations
Ethical Issues
- Justice & Fairness (Exclusion of deserving poor)
- Transparency (Black-box decision making)
- Accountability (Who is responsible?)
- Compassion & Empathy
- Right to Livelihood & Food
Questions
- What are the ethical issues involved?
- What options are available to you?
- What course of action will you take and why?
Model Answer – Approach
Options
- Blindly follow AI output
- Efficient but unethical; violates justice & empathy.
- Suspend AI system completely
- May reintroduce corruption and inefficiency.
- Hybrid approach (Best)
- AI as decision-support, not decision-maker.
Course of Action
- Allow manual appeal & grievance redressal
- Order social audits of AI decisions
- Ensure human-in-the-loop
- Recommend algorithm audit for bias
- Ensure transparency in eligibility criteria
Justification
- Balances efficiency with ethics
- Upholds constitutional values (Article 21)
- AI should assist governance, not replace human judgment
🟦 CASE STUDY 2: AI SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY
Situation
A metropolitan police department deploys AI-powered facial recognition to control crime.
It leads to:
- Reduction in street crime
- But frequent harassment of certain communities
- No clear data protection safeguards
You are the Home Department Secretary.
Stakeholders
- Citizens
- Police forces
- Minority communities
- Judiciary
- Government
Ethical Issues
- Privacy vs Security
- Bias & Discrimination
- Rule of Law
- Consent & Autonomy
- Human Rights
Questions
- Is the use of AI surveillance ethically justified?
- How would you balance security and liberty?
Model Answer – Approach
Ethical Analysis
- Utilitarian view: Crime reduction benefits many
- Deontological view: Privacy is a fundamental right (Puttaswamy judgment)
- Justice perspective: Disproportionate targeting is unethical
Course of Action
- Limit AI use to specific, lawful purposes
- Enforce data minimization & retention limits
- Independent oversight committee
- Algorithm bias audits
- Judicial authorization for sensitive use
Conclusion
Security cannot come at the cost of constitutional morality.
🟦 CASE STUDY 3: AI IN HEALTHCARE DECISION-MAKING
Situation
A government hospital uses an AI system to prioritize patients for ICU beds during a health emergency.
The AI denies ICU access to:
- Elderly patients
- Patients with disabilities
- Patients with lower survival probability
Doctors feel morally conflicted.
You are the Medical Superintendent.
Stakeholders
- Patients & families
- Doctors
- Hospital administration
- Government
Ethical Issues
- Human Dignity
- Equality & Non-discrimination
- Sanctity of Life
- Professional Ethics
Questions
- Should AI decide life-and-death matters?
- What ethical safeguards are required?
Model Answer – Approach
Analysis
- AI lacks empathy & moral reasoning
- Risk of treating humans as data points
- Violates principle of equal worth of life
Course of Action
- AI may assist with data, not final decision
- Final call by medical ethics committee
- Clear ethical triage guidelines
- Transparency with patients
Ethical Values Upheld
- Compassion
- Justice
- Human dignity
🟦 CASE STUDY 4: AI AND RECRUITMENT BIAS
Situation
A public sector company uses AI to shortlist candidates.
Later it is found that:
- Women and candidates from rural backgrounds are consistently rejected.
- The AI was trained on historical hiring data.
You are the Chief Vigilance Officer.
Ethical Issues
- Gender & Social Bias
- Equality of Opportunity
- Institutional Discrimination
- Integrity in public recruitment
Model Response
- Suspend AI-based screening
- Conduct bias audit
- Retrain AI with inclusive datasets
- Restore human oversight
- Ensure constitutional values of equality (Articles 14–16)
🟦 CASE STUDY 5: AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
Situation
India is considering the deployment of AI-enabled autonomous drones for border security.
They can identify and neutralise targets without human intervention.
As a policy advisor, you must give ethical inputs.
Ethical Concerns
- Right to Life
- Accountability in warfare
- Dehumanisation of conflict
- International humanitarian law
Suggested Ethical Stand
- Support Human-in-the-loop principle
- No fully autonomous lethal weapons
- Compliance with the Geneva Conventions
- International regulation advocacy
More Case studies on Artificial Intelligence can be added, if it’s helpful