Democratizing AI: From theory to practice

We are witnessing a movement towards Democratizing AI, with a wide variety of tools, platforms and data sources becoming accessible to more people. This movement is said to be fueling innovation, extending the capabilities of individuals and organizations, by making the creation and application of AI easier. However, beyond the hype, there is a need to understand what this trend means for various stakeholders. Through the lens of socio-political democracy, this chapter examines the democratization of AI. We find that the present state of the “AI Democracy” maps onto only one of three elements of a democracy. Current efforts focus primarily on providing people with the tools and technical infrastructure needed to participate in AI, but not in protecting their freedoms and access to social benefits, which are the other core elements of democracy. We discuss the possibilities for realizing a broader AI democracy, along with the anticipated challenges.