Against “Democratizing AI”

Himmelreich, Johannes

doi:10.1007/s00146-021-01357-z

Cited by 20 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…A fourth visions of democratizing AI calls to transform AI into an object of the rule by the people, suggesting that “AI should be subject to novel or different forms of democratic governance” ( Himmelreich, 2022 , p.3). Just as AI has the potential to contribute to human wellbeing, it can also be used, or abused, to achieve undesirable ends.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are also calls to “democratize” AI algorithms by preventing sampling bias and tackling the under-representation of groups in training data ( Mulvenna et al, 2021 ; Wong, 2019 ). Last but not the least, some actors also call for making the development and use of AI-based technologies an object of democratic governance ( Nemitz, 2018 ; Himmelreich, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Democratizing” artificial intelligence in medicine and healthcare: Mapping the uses of an elusive term

2022

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Introduction: “Democratizing” artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine and healthcare is a vague term that encompasses various meanings, issues, and visions. This article maps the ways this term is used in discourses on AI in medicine and healthcare and uses this map for a normative reflection on how to direct AI in medicine and healthcare towards desirable futures.Methods: We searched peer-reviewed articles from Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed along with grey literature using search terms “democrat*”, “artificial intelligence” and “machine learning”. We approached both as documents and analyzed them qualitatively, asking: What is the object of democratization? What should be democratized, and why? Who is the demos who is said to benefit from democratization? And what kind of theories of democracy are (tacitly) tied to specific uses of the term?Results: We identified four clusters of visions of democratizing AI in healthcare and medicine: 1) democratizing medicine and healthcare through AI, 2) multiplying the producers and users of AI, 3) enabling access to and oversight of data, and 4) making AI an object of democratic governance.Discussion: The envisioned democratization in most visions mainly focuses on patients as consumers and relies on or limits itself to free market-solutions. Democratization in this context requires defining and envisioning a set of social goods, and deliberative processes and modes of participation to ensure that those affected by AI in healthcare have a say on its development and use.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Democratizing” artificial intelligence in medicine and healthcare: Mapping the uses of an elusive term

2022

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“…However, even for some advocates of a greater democratization of citizen presence in AI governance, it is not always clear how to get this level of buy-in to the idea, let alone a consensus [14]. For example, Himmelreich [25] argued that democratic endeavors to AI ethics and governance are not only a matter of involving citizens (or as many citizens as possible). It also entails that they are meaningfully engaged in ways that lead to informing and supporting real (and not speculative) decision-making that may result in veritable changes.…”

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Population Health and the Public’s Role in Its Governance: Perspectives From a Citizen and Expert Panel

Couture¹,

Roy²,

Dez³

et al. 2023

J Med Internet Res

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Background Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are widely used in the health care sector. Mainly applied for individualized care, AI is increasingly aimed at population health. This raises important ethical considerations but also calls for responsible governance, considering that this will affect the population. However, the literature points to a lack of citizen participation in the governance of AI in health. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the governance of the ethical and societal implications of AI in population health. Objective This study aimed to explore the perspectives and attitudes of citizens and experts regarding the ethics of AI in population health, the engagement of citizens in AI governance, and the potential of a digital app to foster citizen engagement. Methods We recruited a panel of 21 citizens and experts. Using a web-based survey, we explored their perspectives and attitudes on the ethical issues of AI in population health, the relative role of citizens and other actors in AI governance, and the ways in which citizens can be supported to participate in AI governance through a digital app. The responses of the participants were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results According to the participants, AI is perceived to be already present in population health and its benefits are regarded positively, but there is a consensus that AI has substantial societal implications. The participants also showed a high level of agreement toward involving citizens into AI governance. They highlighted the aspects to be considered in the creation of a digital app to foster this involvement. They recognized the importance of creating an app that is both accessible and transparent. Conclusions These results offer avenues for the development of a digital app to raise awareness, to survey, and to support citizens’ decision-making regarding the ethical, legal, and social issues of AI in population health.

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“…Political theorists have been arguing for or against democratic control over algorithms for some time (Binns 2018;Wong 2020;Zimmermann, Di Rosa, and Kim 2020;Himmelreich 2023). Some argue that the existence of ineliminable moral tradeoffs between rival conceptions of fair algorithmic design warrants democratization because only democratic processes of public deliberation and contestation can adequately address a wide range of disagreement (Wong 2020, 229).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The paper makes three contributions. First, it intervenes in the debate on the politics of algorithms and digital platforms by offering a new argument in favor of democratization (Binns 2018;Wong 2020;Zimmermann, Di Rosa, and Kim 2020;Himmelreich 2023). More specifically, moving beyond the idea that Big Tech's algorithmic powers are detrimental to democracies, I show why such a diagnosis calls for a specific kind of democratization as a solution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Big Tech, Algorithmic Power, and Democratic Control

Aytac

2024

The Journal of Politics

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This paper argues that instituting Citizen Boards of Governance (CBGs) is the optimal strategy to democratically contain Big Tech's algorithmic powers in the digital public sphere. CBGs are bodies of randomly selected citizens that are authorized to govern the algorithmic infrastructure of Big Tech platforms. The main advantage of CBGs is to tackle the concentrated powers of private tech corporations without giving too much power to governments. I show why this is a better approach than ordinary state regulation or relying on market mechanisms. My proposal follows from the critique of Big Tech's concentrated powers, and explains how this justifies democratizing algorithms in the digital public sphere. My approach thus speaks to a core commitment in democratic theory: enhancing the autonomy of the public sphere from the centers of powers in modern societies, be it corporations or governments.

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Against “Democratizing AI”

Cited by 20 publications

References 54 publications

“Democratizing” artificial intelligence in medicine and healthcare: Mapping the uses of an elusive term

“Democratizing” artificial intelligence in medicine and healthcare: Mapping the uses of an elusive term

Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Population Health and the Public’s Role in Its Governance: Perspectives From a Citizen and Expert Panel

Big Tech, Algorithmic Power, and Democratic Control

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