A Conceptual Framework of the Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Justice on Democracy

Abstract

The success and widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised awareness of the economic, social, and political implications of this technology. Each new step in the development and application of AI is accompanied by speculation about an allegedly imminent but largely fictional artificial general intelligence (AGI) with (super) human capabilities, as evidenced by the unfolding discourse on the capabilities and implications of large-scale language models (LLMs) in the wake of Chat GPT. These far-reaching expectations lead to a discussion of the social and political implications of AI that is largely dominated by fuzzy fears and enthusiasm. In contrast, this article provides a framework for a more focused and productive analysis and discussion of the likely impact of AI on one particular social domain: democracy. First, it is necessary to be clear about how AI works. This means distinguishing between what is currently a largely imaginary AGI and a narrowly defined artificial intelligence focused on solving specific tasks. This distinction allows for a critical discussion of how AI affects various aspects of democracy, including its impact on the conditions of selfdetermination and people’s ability to exercise it, equivalence, and the organization of appointments, in addition to rivalry amid democratic and despotic schemes of administration. This article shows that the implications of contemporary AI for democracy are more specific than general speculation about AI's capabilities would suggest. Focusing on these specific aspects will address the real threats and opportunities and thus allow for better monitoring of the impact of AI on democracy in an interdisciplinary effort of computer scientists and social scientists