Open access peer-review edited volume

Deadline: October 10, 2019

Publisher: University of Westminster Press

Series: Critical, Digital and Social Media Studies

Editor: Pieter Verdegem (University of Westminster)

This collection of contributions brings together critical debates about Artificial Intelligence (AI) to interrogate how we should understand what constitutes AI, its impact and challenges. If we want to make sure that AI-powered applications and solutions will benefit society at large and mitigate AI’s potential negative consequences, we need to overcome the widespread dichotomic (utopian/dystopian) thinking about AI. By offering different perspectives and engaging in critical conversations on the potential and impact of AI, this collection aims to invite all stakeholders involved to contribute to a more nuanced vision of how to make sure AI will deliver benefits for everyone, if at all possible (and what is needed to facilitate change).

What makes this collection timely and necessary:

• Urgency – technologies are changing so quickly and becoming embedded with little public scrutiny
• Public debate is polarised – critical perspectives must offer a necessary nuance to address then answer fundamental questions about power
• Critical – we are facing a new era of technological determinism and governments and business actors are seeking technological solutions without interrogating the consequences. The assumption is that AI is inevitable, everywhere. We have not even started asking the right questions
• Interdisciplinary – approach
• Debate – interaction between different stakeholders (scholars, government, industry, civil society and activists)

QUESTIONS, TOPICS AND FORMAT

This collection asks fundamental and critical questions, such as:

• What is AI, and what is it not?
• What is good AI and for whom?
• How is AI developed, by whom and on what data has it been trained?
• Who owns the AI infrastructure, algorithms and datasets?
• Who has the power to classify and who is involved?
• Who benefits from AI? Who does not?
• Who is excluded and what are the consequences?
• How should we decide where AI can be beneficial, and where harmful?

Contributions include but are not limited to topics, such as:

• Conceptualising AI: AI and bullshit
• Power, Inequality and the Political Economy of AI
• AI, Work and Automation
• Resistance and Activism
• Ethical frameworks for AI
• What AI should not do
• …

Format: This edited volume will be a combination of invited contributions and chapters from this open call for contributions.

TIMETABLE

• October 10, 2019: Deadline for abstracts (max. 500 words)
• October 30, 2019: Editor’s response to abstracts
• March 31, 2020: Deadline for full chapters (6,000-8,000 words)
• July 10, 2020: Deadline for revised chapters
• March 2021: Publication of the edited volume (open access)

All material and the book itself will be published open access in print and digital versions subject to peer review with no author fees.

MORE INFORMATION & CONTACT

Please send abstracts of no longer than 500 words to Pieter Verdegem (p.verdegem@westminster.ac.uk) by 10 October 2019.

ABOUT THE CRITICAL, DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA STUDIES SERIES

Series Editor: Christian Fuchs

The open-access peer-reviewed book series edited by Christian Fuchs publishes books that critically study the role of the internet and digital and social media in society. Titles analyse how power structures, digital capitalism, ideology and social struggles shape and are shaped by digital and social media. They use and develop critical theory discussing the political relevance and implications of studied topics. The series is a theoretical forum for internet and social media research for books using methods and theories that challenge digital positivism; it also seeks to explore digital media ethics grounded in critical social theories and philosophy.

Editorial Board: Thomas Allmer, Mark Andrejevic, Miriyam Aouragh, Charles Brown, Eran Fisher, Peter Goodwin, Jonathan Hardy, Kylie Jarrett, Anastasia Kavada, Maria Michalis, Stefania Milan, Vincent Mosco, Jack Qiu, Jernej Amon Prodnik, Marisol Sandoval, Sebastian Sevignani, Pieter Verdegem

https://www.uwestminsterpress.co.uk/site/books/series/critical-digital-and-social-media-studies/