Artificial intelligence is powerful enough to reshape our lives and deepen inequality. But research reveals it also has potential to become the ultimate tool for fairness.
AI is rapidly reshaping everything from ways of working and teaching to getting medical treatment. But unless developers rewire their approach, it also risks deepening inequality, according to a new study.
The research, published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change reveals how AI systems can either reinforce existing divides or become tools for inclusion—depending on how they’re designed and governed.
From biased algorithms to privacy breaches and the widening digital divide, the paper outlines the ways AI can harm society’s most vulnerable — and offers bold solutions for turning things around.
“This isn’t just about technology,” says Professor Mustafa Özbilgin, professor of organisational behaviour at Brunel Business School. “AI reflects the values and inequalities of the world it’s created in. If we don’t tackle the structural biases baked into these systems, we risk amplifying them. But if we rethink how AI is built and shared, it can be a powerful ally for fairness and justice.”
The research uncovers alarming examples of AI-driven inequality across several sectors. In the US housing market, AI algorithms were found to reject up to 80% of mortgage applications from Black families, perpetuating historical discrimination. The impact of AI bias was also evident during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, where an AI system downgraded exam results for 39% of students, disproportionately affecting those from disadvantaged schools. In Australia, an automated welfare debt system falsely accused thousands of owing money, causing vulnerable people untold stress and financial strain.
AI is revolutionising industries, enhancing productivity, and transforming the job market. But this all comes at a cost, with social and economic disparities widening because of hiring algorithms with built-in biases and people having unequal access to technology. Policymakers, the study says, play a crucial role in addressing these challenges by bringing in ethical frameworks to ensure AI is fair, inclusive and accountable.
“AI is everywhere,” says co-author Prof Tuba Bircan at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. “But without transparency and accountability, these systems can quietly reproduce the same inequalities we’ve been fighting for decades.”
Reimagining AI as a force for good
The study suggests a string of innovative solutions such 'algorithmic hygiene’, a way of implementing rigorous checks to eliminate bias in AI systems. Bridging the digital divide is another solution that would boost access to AI technologies and improve digital literacy for disadvantaged communities. And rather than channelling all the wealth back into the hands of tech giants, the economic benefits of AI developments could be poured back into communities they impact.
“AI can transform society, but only if we address the inequalities it risks entrenching,” said Prof Özbilgin. “If everyone has a stake in how these systems are built and deployed, AI could truly work for everyone.”
The study calls on policymakers, tech developers and community leaders to think critically about the power dynamics driving AI. By building more inclusive systems and embracing collaborative innovation, it says, AI can become a tool for solving inequality, not exacerbating it.
For those in search of hope, the researchers offer this takeaway: AI doesn’t have to reinforce the status quo. With thoughtful design, it could break it entirely.
“We’re at a crossroads, said Prof Özbilgin. “AI can either widen the gap between the haves and have-nots — or help bridge it. The choice is ours. If we choose wisely, the future of AI could be the future of equality.”