Ethical and Regulatory Concerns in AI-Driven Threat Response Frameworks

The increasing deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in cyber threat detection and response has raised urgent ethical and regulatory questions, particularly around privacy, transparency, and accountability. This paper provides a structured narrative review of the current landscape surrounding intelligent threat response systems, focusing on their ethical design, real-world implications, and governance gaps. Drawing on recent global frameworks, national regulations, and case studies, including documented and author-observed incidents from Nigeria, the study highlights how opaque decision-making processes, automation bias, and insufficient oversight mechanisms can harm users and institutions. While efforts such as the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (NIST AI RMF) mark progress, they remain fragmented and often do not take into consideration real-time AI-based autonomy in a cybersecurity setting. The paper highlights the necessity of proactive regulation, such as the right of explanation in law, certification of AI systems, and auditing black-box models. It ends by promoting a mixed form of governance, which involves both technical protection and civil and institutional responsibility, which demands interdisciplinary cooperation that will credibly implement the deployment of AI in high-security sectors.