ABSTRACT
This chapter examines new media ethics in the realms of AI and big data. It especially discusses whether governments and corporations have advanced reliable ethical codes to secure socio-economic equality in the AI era. The chapter addresses some socio-cultural and economic issues stemming from the intensive use of AI and digital platforms from a critical political-economy perspective, which emphasizes not only power relationships between politics and the economy but also socio-economic justice and equality. It is an ongoing question whether people should emphasize laws and policy over ethical codes or vice versa; however, people need to secure both dimensions for the sake of human rights, transparency, and diversity. As one of the most significant concerns in our contemporary capitalism is the divide between the haves and the have-nots, and AI has expanded the gap between them, it is critical to advance socio-economic justice and equality.
