Artificial Intelligence and Democracy: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

The success and widespread deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) have raised awareness of the technology’s economic, social, and political consequences. Each new step in the development and application of AI is accompanied by speculations about a supposedly imminent but largely fictional artificial general intelligence (AGI) with (super-)human capacities, as seen in the unfolding discourse about capabilities and impact of large language models (LLMs) in the wake of ChatGPT. These far-reaching expectations lead to a discussion on the societal and political impact of AI that is largely dominated by unfocused fears and enthusiasms. In contrast, this article provides a framework for a more focused and productive analysis and discussion of AI’s likely impact on one specific social field: democracy. First, it is necessary to be clear about the workings of AI. This means differentiating between what is at present a largely imaginary AGI and narrow artificial intelligence focused on solving specific tasks. This distinction allows for a critical discussion of how AI affects different aspects of democracy, including its effects on the conditions of self-rule and people’s opportunities to exercise it, equality, the institution of elections, and competition between democratic and autocratic systems of government. This article shows that the consequences of today’s AI are more specific for democracy than broad speculation about AGI capabilities implies. Focusing on these specific aspects will account for actual threats and opportunities and thus allow for better monitoring of AI’s impact on democracy in an interdisciplinary effort by computer and social scientists.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Study of the Psychology of Religion

“…4-Exploring the impact of AI on religious beliefs: AI-driven technologies are increasingly shaping various aspects of human life, including religious practices (Andriansyah 2023). Understanding the impact of AI on individuals' religious beliefs and practices can help in predicting and responding to potential societal changes (Jungherr 2023). This intersection can provide insights into how AI technology influences religious communities and individuals' relationships with their faith (Dawson 2023).…”

Polarización política y medios de comunicación, su impacto en la democracia y en la sociedad

“…En ese sentido, el avance tecnológico que implica la IA parece que tendrá efectos visibles en cada una de las áreas en las que intervenga. Su influencia en las democracias contemporáneas ha planteado marcos de interpretación amplios que han tratado de cartografiar un estado de la cuestión especialmente dinámico (Jungherr, 2023). A partir de ahí, se han observado ejemplos claros en discusiones acerca de la configuración algorítmica de los entornos de comunicación digital y el consecuente deterioro del discurso político (Kaye, 2018); el uso de algoritmos para influir en los conflictos políticos (Settle, 2018); la saturación del espacio público con información falsa o engañosa mediante IAs generativas (Krebs;McCain;Brundage, 2022).…”

Yapay Zeka ve Doğrulama

“…Yapay Zeka (YZ), hayatlarımızı hem iyileştirebilecek hem de bazı riskleri barındıran bir teknoloji. Kimileri için yapay zekanın iyileştirici potansiyeli daha güçlü hissedilirken, kimileri içinse risklerinden doğan endişe ağır basıyor (Hansen vd., 2022;Jungherr, 2023).…”