Artificial Intelligence Opinion Monitor (MeMo:AI)
In recent years, numerous strategy papers on the development of digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) have been published from European to national level. What they all have in common is the intention to focus more strongly on people and the common good. If politicians take their own aspirations seriously, they are dependent on the support of an active and enlightened civil society that contributes its needs and ideas to the shaping of digitalization policy in a responsible and self-determined manner.
Otherwise, the development and implementation of AI technologies will remain the preserve of interested industry, whose primary goal is to maximize profits and increase efficiency. Studies from the USA and the UK show that the public debate has so far been heavily dominated by industry (Brennen et al. 2018; Fast & Horvitz 2017). These actors argue from their own specific logic. No systematic findings are yet available for the German discourse. The Artificial Intelligence Opinion Monitor [MeMo:KI] addressed this gap. In a research partnership with the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS), a team of communication and social scientists led by Prof. Dr. Frank Marcinkowski investigated the constitution and change of public and media opinions on AI.
The project was based on the assumption that the realization of a comprehensive social design claim requires a politicization of the topic. First and foremost, this means that the topic of AI and digitalization must be recognized as a subject of political debate and decision-making. Research from other subject areas such as EU policy (e.g. De Wilde, 2011; Schattschneider, 1957) shows that three conditions must be met: (1) the existence of alternative positions in the public debate (polarization); (2) broad media attention, which ensures the popularization of topics and the dissemination of different positions (intensity); and (3) social attention for a topic and electoral significance (resonance). The recent issue and political career of climate change is an excellent example of such a development. MeMo:KI is systematically monitoring public and published opinion to determine the extent to which AI will follow a similar trajectory. Further information on the project can be found here.
The study was carried out using a combination of different empirical methods. Both tried and tested methods of social science research such as media content analysis and surveys as well as new computer-aided methods were used:
- Continuous monitoring of interest in AI, relevant opinions and intended behavior was carried out via a monthly survey of the German population aged 18 and over who use the Internet at least occasionally. In addition, current and specific issues relating to AI were addressed in special surveys.
- At the same time, a semi-automated topic analysis of media coverage was carried out. This made it possible to map trends in public and published opinion on AI. Furthermore, the findings were deepened with manual content analysis and thus, among other things, the tenor of the reporting or the actor structures were examined.
The project was funded by Stiftung Mercator from April 2021 to March 2024.
Previously, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia funded the project for a period from January 2020 to March 2021.