SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Abstract
The rapid diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in education, healthcare, finance, and governance has brought transformative benefits to societies worldwide. However, the integration of AI also exacerbates existing inequalities by deepening social stratification between those with access to advanced technologies and those excluded from them. This paper introduces the “AI Social Stratification Model,” which conceptualizes how differential access to AI tools,technological literacy, and algorithmic biases reinforce and reproduce social inequality. Drawing on case studies from the United States, China, and Southeast Asia, the paper demonstrates that while AI can expand opportunities, it also creates new risks of exclusion. It argues for the establishment of inclusive policy frameworks that ensure AI benefits are equita-bly distributed and socially sustainable.