This chapter explores the ethical challenges and engineering considerations of deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in critical social sectors, drawing upon the principles outlined in the USAID Ethics AI Guide. It examines four real-world case studies—healthcare access prediction, pregnancy risk assessment, personnel selection, and credit allocation—to illustrate how AI systems can unintentionally perpetuate discrimination, violate privacy, or constrain human agency if not guided by rigorous ethical frameworks. Each use case is analyzed in terms of its associated risks, such as bias, lack of transparency, or accountability failures, and is contextualized through USAID’s five guiding principles: transparency, fairness, privacy and security, sustainability, and inclusivity. The chapter underscores the necessity of aligning AI design with human-centered values by embedding fairness constraints, enhancing explainability, and safeguarding vulnerable populations. In doing so, it offers a pathway toward responsible and sustainable AI that respects socio-cultural contexts and promotes social trust in technology-driven development.