The Discursive Construction of AI Fears and Governmentality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66871/trf-j.v1i3.018Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, Techno-democracy, Small AI, AI imaginaries, AI democratisation, AI governance, Smart Hegemony, Discursive InstitutionalismAbstract
This paper looks at AI tools and technologies as sociotechnical imaginaries. The term SI signals that technological developments are co-constructed by technical, design and political actors. This paper argues that this hegemonic truth in contemporary AI discourses is that development happens by default, and national capitalists should define the trajectory of this development. To do so, this paper analyses the AI solutionist tendencies of national governments and corporate actors and how they cause AI fears and anxiety in the Indian citizenry. This paper suggested moving from AI solutionism to AI democratization by adopting Small AI models over general-purpose AI. Overall, this paper analyses the role of ideas, discourse, and institutions in the AI governance policy landscape and contextualises AI technology development, regulation, and governance to reveal the impact of AI discourse on governmentality and individual liberties. Recognising the discursive nature of AI governance opens new possibilities for critique and transformation.
The theoretical approach of this paper involves contextualising the Western frameworks adopted to frame the arguments on AI imaginaries and AI democratisation. While the methodological approach involves a qualitative analysis of governmental and non-governmental policy documents concerning AI, popular English language newspapers and magazines, and digital social-political commentaries on AI futures.
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