In the Interest of the Nation: A Case Study of Artificial Intelligence Policy in the United States
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The potential brought about by artificial intelligence (AI) to reshape national, economic and security interests has triggered a competition between various governments regarding who will be leading this new technology. This thesis focuses on determining the process of development and management of AI technology in the United States in relation to addressing its national interests, as well as how this might have developed between the Obama and Trump Administrations. This is done by employing the theoretical framework of structural realism and a deductive approach. Further, the case study method is utilized by focusing on the U.S. and a qualitative content analysis focusing on three reports released by the National Science and Technology Council during the Obama Administration and compare these with two reports released during the Trump Administration. The key finding of this thesis is that the role of national interests in the construction of AI policy in the U.S. is to guide how key issues are framed throughout its development and how points of focus in the reports, such as security and national and international considerations, are constructed. Further, the results illustrate how this has changed from the Obama to the Trump Administration, as the Obama Administration stressed the importance of military and technological capabilities and promoted international cooperation, while the Trump Administration opted to prioritize national interests.
Author: Florin Gabriel Dascalu
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2892520460