Positions of Power. Freedom and Control in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The new generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems is radically changing and shaping our actions and interactions. These emerging technologies support human-decision making processes in many domains, where often the powers and responsibilities of different actors interact in a ‘socio-technical’ system: an entanglement of technical, social, and institutional dimensions. The thesis investigates the two conceptions of freedom and control in relation to the design, use and governance of AI-driven systems. In doing so, the thesis touches upon topics that range from the taxonomy of technological influence-types to the critical evaluation of current approaches to Meaningful Human Control, and to responsibility and accountability gaps. The aim of this thesis is to bridge the gap between political philosophy and philosophy of technology literature, by providing a finer-grained set of conceptual criteria and evaluative dimensions based on neorepublican theory that can consider the political and social consequences of tech-mediated phenomena and structures.