Method, Mind, and Morality: How People Make Sense of Artificial Intelligence

Problem

This preprint addresses the gap in understanding how AI professionals make sense of the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and the societal implications that arise from these developments. The authors investigate the cognitive challenges faced by these professionals in assigning responsibility for AI’s societal impacts, particularly in the context of increasing public interest in AI technologies.

Method

The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining computational text analysis of millions of AI-related newspaper articles and social media posts with insights from 57 semi-structured interviews conducted with AI professionals in 2021 and 2023. This dual approach allows for a comprehensive examination of the sociological frames—interpretive schemas that structure collective cognition—used by AI professionals. The authors identify three primary debates that shape these frames: (i) the method of AI development, contrasting top-down expert systems with bottom-up emergent capabilities; (ii) the mind of AI systems, ranging from viewing AI as a passive tool to conceptualizing it as a humanlike