QUESTION 1(a)
GS4
10 marks
The application of Artificial Intelligence as a dependable source of input for administrative rational decision-making is a debatable issue. Critically examine the statement from the ethical point of view.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Critically examine, on ethical grounds, whether AI can be a dependable input for rational administrative decisions.
Critically examineWeigh the strengths and the weaknesses, then give a balanced verdict.
Demand-wise check
- 1For: speed, consistency, pattern detection, less personal bias, better targeting (e.g. fraud detection, crop insurance)≈30 words
- 2Against: algorithmic bias from skewed data, opacity ('black box'), privacy, errors at scale, no empathy or context≈30 words
- 3Accountability: who answers for an AI-driven wrong decision?≈30 words
- 4Balance: AI as decision support with human oversight, audits and explainability≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
ContextEthical benefitsEthical risks with examplesAccountability questionSafeguardsConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Writing about AI technology without the ethical lens the question asks for
- Only listing benefits, no critical examination
Draw this
- Scale: efficiency and consistency vs bias, opacity, accountability
Value addition
- ExampleNetherlands childcare benefits scandal: a risk-scoring algorithm wrongly flagged thousands of families for fraud; the government resigned in 2021.Dutch parliamentary inquiry report, 2020
- LawDigital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 sets consent and purpose-limitation duties for processing personal data, including by the state.DPDP Act, 2023
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- G Sanjana · AIR 55 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.