If AI can fabricate convincing worlds, who is responsible when those worlds deceive, manipulate, or harm? The ethical landscape is unclear. Artists may argue for creative freedom; technologists may celebrate innovation; but victims of AI deception may face reputational or emotional ruin.
Ethics in the era of synthetic reality will hinge on intent, disclosure, and accountability. We must decide whether transparency — labeling AI-generated content — will be mandatory or optional. The moral question is not whether AI can simulate truth, but whether we should allow it to.