Political issues people care about such as racism, climate change, and democracy take on new urgency and meaning in the light of technological developments such as AI. How can we talk about the politics of AI while moving beyond mere warnings and easy accusations?

This is the first accessible introduction to the political challenges related to AI. Using political philosophy as a unique lens through which to explore key debates in the area, the book shows how various political issues are already impacted by emerging AI technologies: from justice and discrimination to democracy and surveillance. Revealing the inherently political nature of technology, it offers a rich conceptual toolbox that can guide efforts to deal with the challenges raised by what turns out to be not only artificial intelligence but also artificial power.

This timely and original book will appeal to students and scholars in philosophy of technology and political philosophy, as well as tech developers, innovation leaders, policy makers, and anyone interested in the impact of technology on society.

About the Author
Mark Coeckelbergh is Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology at the University of Vienna.

Reviews

"The disciplines of AI ethics and political philosophy focus on many of the same issues, but only rarely do we see the rich history of the latter discipline being used to make sense of the politics of AI. Coeckelbergh provides a welcome exception with this important book."
Henrik Skaug Saetra, Ostfold University College

"Artificial intelligence is fundamentally political, and this book illuminates why. It spans the debates about inequality, democracy, power, and posthumanism, and shows the importance of social and political theory to understanding AI."
Kate Crawford, author of Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence

"Coeckelbergh['s] [...] real focus is on showing a few thousand years' worth of philosophical thought will not automatically become obsolete through feats of digital engineering."
Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed

"Coeckelbergh's book is a much-needed introduction of how to relate political philosophy to fields and disciplines concerned with the reflection on technology."
Michael W.Schmidt, Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice

Book Information
ISBN 9781509548545
Author Mark Coeckelbergh
Format Paperback
Page Count 176
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 236g
Dimensions(mm) 213mm * 135mm * 15mm