Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often considered to be one of the defining technologies, which will be important in shaping the prosperity and power dynamics of the twenty-first century. In the last five years many governments around the world tried to implement policies that are intended to foster AI innovation in order to position themselves as leaders in a space that is thought to be the next global paradigm shift. Europe and the United States are thought leaders in this field and have published policy documents aimed at deliberating the future progress of AI and defining national policies or research strategies, which should serve as signposts for subsequent decisions. Research in Science, Technology Society (STS) studies has shown how sociotechnical imaginaries shape the ways emerging technologies are assessed, evaluated and regulated in differing political cultures. They inform the visions that make certain options possible, specific outcomes plausible and leave other avenues for policy dormant.
This thesis explores these imaginaries found in policy documents connected to regulatory attitudes towards AI and the social changes linked to this emerging technology in the United States and Europe along three dimensions: First, the dominant visions, images and ideals associated with the technological innovation in AI. Second, the expectations of benefits and risks projected onto AI. And third, the imagined role of governance of AI in the policy documents as well as how society is imagined to be part of the assessment, development and regulation. The thesis suggests, that AI offers a new and rich window into regulatory imaginaries in a specific moment of technological emergence. Some of the uncovered attitudes towards AI are reflected in imaginaries connected to previous technologies, however, AI constitutes a novel moment of emergence that links to unique attuites to regulating self-learning algorithmic intelligence.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. State of the Art
2.1. Artificial Intelligence
2.2. Governing Emerging Technologies
2.3. Imagining Emerging Technologies
3. Research Question
4. Methodological Considerations
4.1. Structuring the Material
4.2. Document Analysis
5. Artificial Intelligence and the United States
5.1. Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence
5.1.1. Technology and Innovation
5.1.2. Benefits and Risks
5.1.3. Governance and Citizens
5.2. National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan
5.2.1. Technology and Innovation
5.2.2. Benefits and Risks
5.2.3. Governance and Citizens
5.3. Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and the Economy
5.3.1. Technology and Innovation
5.3.2. Benefits and Risks
5.3.3. Governance and Citizens
6. Artificial Intelligence and the European Union
6.1. Artificial Intelligence for Europe
6.1.1. Technology and Innovation
6.1.2. Benefits and Risks
6.1.3. Governance and Citizens
6.2. Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence
6.2.1. Technology and Innovation
6.2.2. Benefits and Risks
6.2.3. Governance and Citizens
6.3. Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI
6.3.1. Technology and Innovation
6.3.2. Benefits and Risks
6.3.3. Governance and Citizens
7. American and European Visions of Artificial Intelligence
7.1.1. Sustaining and Competing
7.1.2. Risking and Balancing
7.1.3. Avoiding and Managing
8. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines how governments in the United States and the European Union imagine the social changes associated with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). By analyzing official policy documents, the work aims to uncover the dominant sociotechnical imaginaries that shape the regulatory attitudes and political cultures in both regions. The core research question addresses how these governments conceive the relationship between AI innovation and its broader societal implications.
- Comparison of US and EU AI policy documents and their sociotechnical imaginaries.
- Analysis of the perceived roles of technology, innovation, and economic progress.
- Evaluation of how risks and benefits are balanced and communicated by state actors.
- Examination of the imagined roles of governance, democracy, and citizen participation in the context of AI emergence.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
What some call a second industrial revolution has propelled our society into a knowledge or information society that increasingly relies on computational algorithms to make decisions on the ever-expanding sets of data that are available in the age of digitization (Jasanoff, 2016). At the center of this development is a new wave of artificially intelligent (AI) software that allows ICT (Information and Communication Technology) an avenue to influence the way we interact, learn and make decisions both at a societal and individual level. Connected to this new technology are a myriad of utopian and dystopian hopes and fears that Pamela MacCorduck (2004, p. 381) poignantly describes as a desire for “forging the gods” and that provide the material for vibrant imaginations and expectations which elevate AI to one of the defining technologies of the coming decades.
As with other emerging technologies like nanotechnology and biotechnology (Burri, 2015; Jasanoff, 2005; Macoubrie, 2006) regulators are setting out to build frameworks which are intended to utilize the opportunities and address the concerns of this technology. However, there is no universal response and emerging technologies have been framed in diverse ways in different political cultures with various attitudes towards regulating innovation (Jasanoff, 2005). AI is a new frontier in which these attitudes can be practiced, reinvented and negotiated.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the societal shift driven by AI, the resulting utopian and dystopian narratives, and the thesis objective to analyze how US and EU governments imagine social changes via policy.
2. State of the Art: Reviews existing literature on machine learning, the social studies of technology (STS) regarding algorithms, and the evolution of governing emerging technologies.
3. Research Question: Formulates the central inquiry into how governments in the United States and Europe imagine social changes linked to the technological emergence of AI in policy documents.
4. Methodological Considerations: Outlines the qualitative document analysis approach, including material selection criteria and the inductive coding process used to compare US and EU perspectives.
5. Artificial Intelligence and the United States: Examines three key US policy documents (Preparing for the Future, R&D Strategic Plan, and AI, Automation, and the Economy) and their focus on innovation and economic growth.
6. Artificial Intelligence and the European Union: Investigates European documents (Communication on AI for Europe, Coordinated Plan, Ethics Guidelines) focusing on values, trust, and the need for a cohesive European approach.
7. American and European Visions of Artificial Intelligence: Provides a comparative synthesis of US and European imaginaries, contrasting US techno-optimism with European value-based caution.
8. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, highlighting how sociotechnical imaginaries shape regulatory paths and identifying a convergence toward less risk-averse approaches in both regions.
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence, AI Governance, Sociotechnical Imaginaries, Policy Documents, United States, European Union, Machine Learning, Innovation, Risk Assessment, Human-centric AI, Ethics, STS, Automation, Technological Change, Civic Epistemology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The thesis explores how policymakers in the United States and the European Union use documents to frame the future of Artificial Intelligence, focusing on dominant visions, perceptions of risk/benefit, and the role assigned to governance and society.
Which regional policy documents are analyzed?
The study analyzes three documents from the US (Preparing for the Future of AI, R&D Strategic Plan, AI/Automation and the Economy) and three from the EU (Communication on AI for Europe, Coordinated Plan on AI, and Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI).
What is the central research question?
The research investigates how governments in the United States and Europe imagine the social changes connected to the technological emergence of AI in policy documents.
What methodological approach does the author use?
The author employs a qualitative document analysis (QDA) inspired by thematic and STS-based approaches to identify how specific political cultures conceptualize AI governance.
How is the main body structured?
The body is structured by analyzing specific policy documents within the US and EU frameworks, then providing a comparative analysis of the recurring themes identified across these regions.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include AI governance, sociotechnical imaginaries, technological change, US-EU comparison, ethics, and innovation policy.
How does the US approach differ from the EU approach regarding risk?
The US approach is characterized by an asymmetrical, techno-optimistic focus on productivity and economic gain, whereas the EU approach emphasizes ‘Trustworthy AI’, embedding European values as a foundational requirement to navigate and mitigate risk.
What is the role of citizens in these policy visions?
In both regions, the role of citizens is largely marginalized; they are frequently addressed as consumers, users, or targets for education rather than as active participants in the democratic decision-making process regarding AI technology.
How does the author characterize "Sociotechnical Imaginaries"?
They are described as collectively held, institutionally stabilized, and publicly performed visions of desirable futures, which shape how emerging technologies are assessed, evaluated, and regulated in different political contexts.
- Arbeit zitieren
- M.A. Stefan Raß (Autor:in), 2019, Visions of Artificial Intelligence, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1001872
