Vol. 54 No. 217 (2024): The Myth of the Machine? Artificial Intelligence and Social Criticism

Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently at the centre of numerous controversial debates. AI is being discussed both as a high-risk technology and as an all-encompassing saviour. AI applications have been considered highly relevant in geopolitical, military-strategic and political-economic terms for several years now. However, the globally very unevenly distributed production capacities and labour relations under which this rapid technological development and AI implementation is taking place are being overlooked.

In this contested situation, we ask in PROKLA 217 what the myths, promises and threat scenarios associated with artificial intelligence, which have been revived with the publication of ChatGPT, actually contain. What is the background to artificial intelligence, what are its real effects and what are its potential developments?

With contributions from Adam Birk, Florian Butollo, Jannis Eicker, Hannah Fitsch, Jürgen Geuter, Heiner Heiland, Leon Hellbach, Sarrah Kassem, Matteo Pasquinelli, Peter Schulz, Mariana Schütt, Jens Schröter, Sandra Sieron, Felix Syrovatka, Jutta Weber, Tom Khaled Würdemann and Philip Wotschack.