Abstract
This paper examines how the governance in AI policy documents have been framed as way to resolve public controversies surrounding AI. It draws on the studies of governance of emerging technologies, the concept of policy framing, and analysis of 49 recent policy documents dedicated to AI which have been prepared in the context of technological hype expecting fast advances of AI that will fundamentally change economy and society. The hype about AI is accompanied by major public controversy about positive and negative effects of AI. Against the backdrop of this policy controversy, governance emerges as one of the frames that diagnoses the problems and offers prescriptions. Accordingly, the current governance characterized by oligopoly of a small number of large companies is indicated as one of the reasons for problems such as lack of consideration of societal needs and concerns. To address these problems, governance frame in AI policy documents assigns more active and collaborative roles to the state and society. Amid public controversies, the state is assigned the roles of promoting and facilitating AI development while at the same time being a guarantor of risk mitigation and enabler of societal engagement. High expectations are assigned to public engagement with multiple publics as a way to increase diversity, representation and equality in AI development and use. While this governance frame might have a normative appeal, it is not specific about addressing some well-known challenges of the proposed governance mode such as risks of capture by vested interests or difficulties to achieve consensus.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 158-177 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Policy and Society |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 17 Dec 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under the Specific Grant Agreements No. 720270 (HBP SGA1), No. 785907 (HBP SGA2) and No. 945539 (HBP SGA3). This article has benefited from the comments and suggestions from the special issue editor Professor Araz Taeihagh, two anonymous reviewers, participants of the special issues workshop at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, August 2019 and the AsSIST-UK (UK Association for Studies in Innovation, Science and Technology) conference at the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research at University of Manchester, September 2019. The authors are grateful to Dinesh Mothi for his contribution to the document analysis. Support from the De Montfort University’s Future Research Leaders Programme (Inga Ulnicane), Frontrunners internship (Tonii Leach and Dinesh Mothi) and student placement (Winter-Gladys Wanjiku) is acknowledged.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Keywords
- Artificial Intelligence
- emerging technology
- governance
- policy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
- Public Administration
- Political Science and International Relations