Call for paper: Artificial Intelligence and Social Policy

Artificial Intelligence and Social Policy

The aim of this special journal issue is to explore in more depth how artificial intelligence is affecting social policy. This is important as there is much discussion about the role of artificial intelligence in society and how governments can police and regulate it. We are now in the artificial intelligence age and much of society has changed or will change due to changing attitudes and societal reactions regarding emerging technology. This means it is timely to explore just how social policy planners and stakeholders are reacting to artificial intelligence and to predict future changes. This involves remaining vigilant about both the positive and negatives of artificial intelligence and how society will be altered due to the changes.

The originality of the special journal issue is the focus on social policy in terms of how artificial intelligence will affect social practices and procedures. This helps determine how sociology research and practice can change based on developing artificial intelligence policies. At the moment there is still much confusion and uncertainty about the changes from artificial intelligence, particularly around work/life balance and automated tasks trained on machine learning that might alter existing practices. Much of the existing work on artificial intelligence has tended to focus on other fields of study such as technology management and human resource management but this special journal issue will take a sociological perspective by emphasising social policy. This means what needs to be done in terms of different levels of policy at the micro, macro and international level.

This special journal issue will address most of the UN Sustainable Development Goals but in different ways. For example, the role of inequity in society by different levels of technology adoption regarding artificial intelligence will be looked at. This includes focusing on education rates and changing life patterns on the land in terms of automation regarding farming but also urban practices. Regulation regarding social policy usage in the environment will also be focused on.

List of Topic Areas

The role of social policy in artificial intelligence implementation and planning.

How artificial intelligence will affect changing cultural and social patterns in society.

The positives and negatives of artificial intelligence usage in business and government.

Regional and international differences regarding artificial intelligence related social policy.

Proactive social policies regarding artificial intelligence regulation and ethics.

Guest Editor

Vanessa Ratten, La Trobe University, Australia, v.ratten@latrobe.edu.au

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Author guidelines must be strictly followed.

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines