Artificial Intelligence and Social Welfare

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic automation is fundamentally reshaping contemporary socio-economic structures. While these technologies drive macroeconomic efficiency, their systemic impact on social welfare and public protection mechanisms remains a critical area of academic inquiry. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric review of global literature intersecting AI and social welfare over a three-decade period (1995–2026). A refined corpus of 2,165 peer-reviewed documents extracted from the Scopus database (restricted to Social Sciences, Economics, and Management) was computationally analyzed using the Bibliometrix package in R-Studio. Conceptual mapping reveals a significant paradigm shift, transitioning from early technical public automation to contemporary concerns regarding algorithmic justice, ethical governance frameworks, and socio-economic inequalities. Thematic clustering further exposes critical tensions regarding how digital transformations either foster social inclusion or exacerbate territorial fractures. Conclusively, this paper synthesizes global research trajectories to offer an innovative framework for policymakers, emphasizing the urgent need for human-centric AI governance capable of securing robust social safety nets.