09-23-2026, 07:28 PM
Beyond Algorithms: Social Representations and the Public Understanding of AI, edited by Lilian Negura, examines artificial intelligence not simply as a technical system but as a social and cultural phenomenon. The 2026 volume brings together international scholars to investigate how people, institutions and societies construct meanings around AI—through hopes, fears, controversies and everyday experiences. Using Social Representations Theory alongside complementary approaches, the chapters address AI in areas including education, healthcare, work, ethics, communication and public policy, emphasizing that public perceptions of AI can influence how the technology is adopted, regulated and incorporated into social practices.
A central theme is the distinction between what AI produces and what human societies mean. Negura's related work argues that AI-generated language can simulate communication and reproduce cultural symbols, metaphors and narratives without itself participating in the collective, dialogical processes through which social knowledge is created. He describes AI systems as “quasi-agents”—systems that can appear socially interactive while lacking genuine intentionality—and argues that understanding AI therefore requires examining the human social processes surrounding algorithms rather than algorithms alone.
The book consequently offers a perspective on AI that connects technology with power, culture, institutions and the construction of public knowledge, rather than treating technological development as an isolated technical process.
BOOK
A central theme is the distinction between what AI produces and what human societies mean. Negura's related work argues that AI-generated language can simulate communication and reproduce cultural symbols, metaphors and narratives without itself participating in the collective, dialogical processes through which social knowledge is created. He describes AI systems as “quasi-agents”—systems that can appear socially interactive while lacking genuine intentionality—and argues that understanding AI therefore requires examining the human social processes surrounding algorithms rather than algorithms alone.
The book consequently offers a perspective on AI that connects technology with power, culture, institutions and the construction of public knowledge, rather than treating technological development as an isolated technical process.
BOOK
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