From Apocalyptic Threat to Object of Mockery: Social Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence Risks and Their Practical Implications
From Apocalyptic Threat to Object of Mockery: Social Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence Risks and Their Practical Implications

Summary/Abstract: Thе paper examines social perceptions of the risks associated with artificial intelligence, as manifested in reactions of fear and ridicule – specifically, in notions of the technology’s superiority or inferiority in relation to humans. The aim of thе paper is to analyze this pattern by identifying the factors that contribute to AI being simultaneously an object of fear and mockery, and highlighting practical implications of such social reactions for the control of AI-related risks. Thе paper advances the argument that ridicule provides a means of articulating more plausible risks from AI than those framed through fear. Lastly, we critically examine the use of the term “existential risk” to denote the threat of AI to the survival of civilization and humankind.

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