Consensus and Gaps in AI Ethics: An Integrated Analysis of 200 Guidelines Reveals Core Principles and Emerging Themes

This study analyzes 200 AI ethics guidelines (2014-2022) from 46 countries using two complementary methods: statistical analysis of 17 predefined principles and BERTopic modeling for emergent themes. We found broad consensus on three 1 core principles: transparency (82.5%), reliability (78.0%), and fairness (75.5%). However, critical gaps exist: children’s rights appear in only 6% of documents, labor rights in 19.5%, and sustainability in 22.0%. Regional variations reveal European emphasis on data protection, North American focus on corporate commitment , and Asian attention to technology governance. Temporal analysis shows human-centeredness (+2.2% annually) and corporate commitment (+2.4% annually) as emerging trends. These findings offer benchmarks for policymakers and organizations developing AI ethics frameworks, while highlighting urgent gaps requiring attention.