AI as a Democratic Actor

This doctoral research project investigates how citizens form and adapt their understanding of AI as an important part of liberal democracy. While AI increasingly influences politics, such as during election campaigns or when political information is consumed online, many citizens are fearful of the impact it will have on their lives and future. There are also concerns that AI may have a detrimental impact on fundamental democratic processes, such as the transparency of decision-making and facticity of information. This project uses a combination of social science and data science methods to uncover how citizens’ understanding of the role of AI in democracy evolves, and the implications such understanding has for informed public discourse and democratic engagement.

Sebastian Tschiatschek – Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna

Sylvia Kritzinger – Department of Government, University of Vienna

Marta Sabou – Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, WU Wien