Why Tech Determinism & Solutionism Are False Starts to Discussing AI
The language we use to talk about AI matters
“Not going to beat centralized AI with more centralized AI.”— Emad Mostaque, former CEO, Stability AI.
When we in academia discuss "technological determinism," we are weaving together numerous threads of a theme, and one that has rapidly gained traction as a research interest in various academic circles and among professionals.
While the term is well-established in academic discourse, it boasts a rich lineage of thought, which I will succinctly delineate. Following this, I will discuss some more appropriate and emerging dichotomies to frame contemporary debates on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society.
The term tech determinism is often associated with the American sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen, who used it to describe the prevailing belief, even at that time — the late 1800s — that technology was vastly informing the development of social structures and cultural values.
Veblen’s ideas, particularly those expressed in his book The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899), laid the groundwork for discussions on how technology influences society. And while the…
