Artificial intelligence and society: mapping the research through a systematic review

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping social structures, raising critical ethical, economic, and cultural concerns. While extensive research has focused on AI’s technological development, its broader societal implications remain underexplored. This systematic literature review examines the social dimensions of AI by categorizing studies based on methodology, thematic focus, and publication trends. Analyzing 91 primary studies from a corpus of 276 AI-related articles published between 2017 and 2025, the findings indicate a dominance of theoretical research (58 studies) over empirical investigations (35), with qualitative approaches (18) surpassing quantitative ones (15). The most extensively studied areas include ethics and responsibility (29 studies), cultural and philosophical dimensions (19), and governance and policy (13), whereas labor market impacts (6) and privacy concerns (3) have received significantly less attention. This study identifies critical gaps in empirical research, particularly regarding AI’s influence on socialization, bias mitigation, and fairness. Future research should prioritize AI’s impact on marginalized communities and regulatory frameworks while fostering an interdisciplinary approach to align AI advancements with human values. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into society, it is imperative for scholars and policymakers to ensure its ethical, inclusive, and socially responsible development.