How We Talk About AI (and Why It Matters)

Abstract

How we talk about artificial intelligence matters. Not only do our rhetorical choices influence public expectations of AI, they implicitly make the case for or against specific government interventions. Conceiving of AI as a global project to which each nation can contribute, for instance, suggests a different course of action than understanding AI as a "race" America cannot afford to lose. And just as inflammatory terms such as "killer robot" aim to catalyze limitations of autonomous weapons, so do the popular terms "ethics" and "governance" subtly argue for a lesser role for government in setting AI policy. How should we talk about AI? And what's at stake with our rhetorical choices? This presentation explores the interplay between claims about AI and law's capacity to channel AI in the public interest.