Team Germany
The aim of the policy work package is to identify the (re-)presentation and shaping of artificial intelligence in national policy making. A first research stream focuses on policy documents issued by public sector actors that relate to AI, such as white papers, strategies, and guidelines. The analysis centers on actors, topics, and shifts over time. Because artificial intelligence is far from being a well-defined technology with an unanimously accepted definition, it seems necessary to conceptualize policy documents as potential objects of both controversy and closure: the publication of a policy document may mean the end of a negotiation over definitions, responsibilities, and resources, yet it may also mark the beginning of such negotiations by sparking contestations.
A second research stream is dedicated to investigating the key rationales, the justifications rhetorics, and the mobilized sociotechnical imaginaries including their underlying assumptions. It takes into account not only existing policy documents, but also considers the broader political agenda-setting cycle that has preceded and surrounded the existence of these documents.
Data collection and analysis rely on a mixed methods approach that includes quantitative as well as qualitative elements. Within the policy work package, the project will establish a database of policy documents, carry out content analysis, and conduct in-depth interviews.