Political Theory of the Digital Age
Where Artificial Intelligence Might Take Us

This book investigates how artificial intelligence might influence our political practices and ideas, and how we should respond.

Mathias Risse (Author)

9781009255196, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 9 February 2023

400 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 2 cm, 0.49 kg

'Risse could not be more right that we need to do political theory for a digital age, to come to grips with the political dimensions of our social lives as the very notion of social life is transformed by advances in AI in both the near and far terms. Weaving together insights from the philosophy of technology, rights theory, science and technology studies, and traditional political theory and political philosophy, Risse reveals both the depth of challenges we face across a spectrum of issues in the immediate and distant future, and the promise of a reconfigured political theory for resolving them. The breadth and care that Risse takes with both the technological possibilities and the philosophical and political foundations is remarkable. This is a must-read!' John Basl, Northeastern University

With the rise of far-reaching technological innovation, from artificial intelligence to Big Data, human life is increasingly unfolding in digital lifeworlds. While such developments have made unprecedented changes to the ways we live, our political practices have failed to evolve at pace with these profound changes. In this path-breaking work, Mathias Risse establishes a foundation for the philosophy of technology, allowing us to investigate how the digital century might alter our most basic political practices and ideas. Risse engages major concepts in political philosophy and extends them to account for problems that arise in digital lifeworlds including AI and democracy, synthetic media and surveillance capitalism and how AI might alter our thinking about the meaning of life. Proactive and profound, Political Theory of the Digital Age offers a systemic way of evaluating the effect of AI, allowing us to anticipate and understand how technological developments impact our political lives – before it's too late.

1. Introduction: digital lifeworlds in human history
2. Learning from the Amish: political philosophy as philosophy of technology in the digital century
3. Artificial intelligence and the past, present, and future of democracy
4. Truth will not set you free: is there a right to it anyway? Elaborating on the work public reason does in life 2.0
5. Knowing and being known: investigating epistemic entitlements in digital lifeworlds
6. Beyond porn and discreditation: epistemic promises and perils of deepfake technology
7. The fourth generation of human rights: epistemic rights in life 2.0 and life 3.0
8. On surveillance capitalism, instrumentarian power, and social physics: securing the enlightenment for digital lifeworlds
9. Data as social facts: distributive justice meets big data
10. God, Golem, and gadget worshippers: meaning of life in the digital age
11. Moral status and political membership: toward a political theory for life 3.0
Epilogue.

Subject Areas: Artificial intelligence [UYQ], Impact of science & technology on society [PDR], Human rights [JPVH], Political science & theory [JPA], Social & political philosophy [HPS]