Examining media coverage of ethical dimensions of advanced algorithmic technology

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science into daily life raises ethical concerns and stimulates discussions among stakeholders responsible for their development. Given the media's role in shaping imaginaries of emerging technologies and their acceptance, this paper systematically analyzes media discourse on ethics in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science from 2015 to 2020. Our results show that media coverage of advanced algorithmic technologies mainly focused on the industry sector, frequently addressing short-term challenges such as algorithmic bias, social justice, data privacy, and socioeconomic effects. Its portrayal in media often maintained a balanced perspective between positive and negative outcomes, paired with realistic and grounded future scenarios. This study offers a holistic and integrated analysis of how the media frames the ethics of artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning, highlighting previously overlooked dimensions such as accountability strategies and the relationship between areas of application and their consequences.