This study conducted a systematic literature review to examine the trajectory of AI research over the past five years, from 2019 to 2023, focusing on emerging ethical and social concerns related to the deployment of AI technologies. The study also aimed at enhancing the understanding and promotion of robust AI ethics for societal benefit. The explosive rise of the internet, AI, and mobile technology has dramatically changed how we live, work, consume, learn, and communicate. AI is improving the quality of human life but poses dangers from unintended disastrous and undesirable outcomes, if unregulated. Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure networks pose grave threats, exponentially increasing risks of fatalities and service breakdowns. AI can instantly diagnose rare diseases, robots can perform precision surgeries and chatbots can write assignments for students. AI is also used for surveillance, monitoring financial activities and autonomous weapon systems in the military. Two hundred and twenty-five publications from Scopus database were selected to determine the central themes, the affordances and constraints of AI and principles that enhance public trust and accountability. Results show an upward trajectory in AI ethics research from 6.2% in 2019 to 40.3% in 2023. Furthermore, results revealed the emerging ethical and social concerns in major socioeconomic domains. Results also show that AI collects data about individuals and data breaches have catastrophic consequences. The growing complexity and opacity of AI systems make it hard to understand decision-making, hindering accountability for developers and deployers. AI algorithms may be biased against minorities; perpetuating prejudices. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the ethical and societal concerns surrounding unregulated AI adoption. The issues identified in this study may assist policymakers in developing frameworks and policies for AI usage.
