Drawing on the theory of social representations developed by Serge Moscovici, the book investigates how different social groups make sense of AI: the images, narratives, hopes, and concerns attached to it, and the role these play in social practices and public debate.
It also raises a pressing question: how does AI-generated content shape the formation of social representations? The volume thus explores a dual dynamic, treating AI both as an object of representation and as a technology that intervenes in the process of representation itself, transforming the cultural resources through which we interpret the world.
The contributions span science fiction, the media, the labor market, education, and politics. They also consider how discriminatory and stereotypical biases in generative AI systems can perpetuate social inequalities and injustices. In one chapter, Negura and Noëlle Tchatchou, a doctoral student in social work at the University of Ottawa, analyze children's stories written by AI and show how such stories could reinforce inequalities of social class, gender, and educational level.
Intended for researchers, educators, and practitioners, the book offers tools for analyzing the role of AI in knowledge production and social life. As Negura emphasizes, the social sciences offer valuable insights into AI and can inform democratic deliberation about its uses and impacts.