Even with the establishment of norms and laws to maintain morality and ethical behaviour, violence and unethical behaviour have always been part of society. Throughout history, harmful acts, especially when done by those who control the narrative, have rarely been presented as immoral. Instead, they are reframed in ways that make them appear necessary, justified, or even beneficial. There are many examples of this, both old and new. The killing of indigenous populations during colonisation was often described as “civilising” territories. War on weaker or defenceless countries for the purpose of strategic or economic interests is presented as a necessary operation, justified in the name of security or national defence. And, the consequent civilian deaths are labelled as “collateral damage.” Violence or harassment against women and young girls has been and continues to be dismissed as “accidental dalliance” or “minor deviance”, while the behaviour of the women themselves is always questioned, shifting the blame from perpetrators to the victims.
Some of the latest examples of this can be seen in how Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems use people’s data without their consent for training purposes while presenting it as technological progress, and in how companies displace millions of workers with AI, and frame it as development. In many such situations, the perception of the act shifts, depending on who is involved, how it is described, and who holds power.
