Do fictional representations of AI in government relate with citizen’s perception?
TL;DR
A typology structured along three axes: scale of governance, type of AI, type of AI (robotic, conversational, algorithmic), and narrative role (helper, subject, opponent) is introduced, revealing an overrepresentation of conversational, antagonistic AI at micro and meso scales in fiction whereas participants overrepresent algorithmic AI at the macro scale.
Abstract
AI is increasingly embedded in government, yet its meanings and implications remain contested and often misunderstood. Science fiction is an important yet underexplored source shaping public understandings of AI by generating collective imaginaries through polarized narratives. This paper introduces a typology structured along three axes: scale of governance (micro, meso, macro), type of AI (robotic, conversational, algorithmic), and narrative role (helper, subject, opponent). We apply the typology to 76 films and 68 reflective essays from university students. Findings reveal an overrepresentation of conversational, antagonistic AI at micro and meso scales in fiction whereas participants overrepresent algorithmic AI at the macro scale. The findings reveal convergences and divergences that expose forms of sociotechnical blindness in how AI in government is imagined. The study contributes to research by offering a theoretical lens to analyse fictional AI narratives, comparing representations and perceptions, and introducing cultural artefacts to study AI in government.