[Commlist] CFP: Generative AI Governance - Special Issues in Information, Communication & Society

CFP: Generative AI Governance - Special Issues in Information, 
Communication & Society

Call for Papers for Special Issue in Information, Communication & Society
Generative AI Governance: Innovations, Institutions, Imaginaries

Special Issue Editors:
Fabian Ferrari, Utrecht University, (f.l.ferrari /at/ uu.nl)
Joanne Kuai, Karlstad University, (joanne.kuai /at/ kau.se)
 From democratic to authoritarian contexts, governments worldwide face 
the challenge of setting up oversight mechanisms for generative AI 
systems. The European Union recently reached an agreement for the 
proposed EU AI Act. A few months earlier, China had enacted one of the 
first laws in the world to regulate generative AI systems. Navigating 
this global policy landscape is challenging, not only due to differences 
between regulatory regimes but also because of the fast pace at which 
new variations of generative AI systems are developed.

However, the governance of generative AI systems is not only a task for 
governments and regulators – it also occurs at the workplace and at the 
institutional level. For example, in the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, 
the use of generative AI systems featured prominently. Such developments 
signify a need for a new understanding of generative AI governance, 
expanding its scope beyond a narrow focus on regulatory frameworks. As 
such, this special issue asks: How does the landscape of generative AI 
governance shape the discursive and material dimensions of generative AI 
systems, and what are the underlying factors influencing this development?

To address this question, the special issue invites contributions that 
cover a wide cultural and geographical range of case studies or 
comparative studies. Given that the governance of generative AI systems 
is a globally interconnected phenomenon, engagements with regional, 
national, and supranational forms of generative AI governance are 
encouraged. Potential empirical entry points include but are not limited to:

- Assessing the efficacy of designated AI oversight measures (e.g., risk 
assessments, audit procedures, red-teaming) in light of swiftly evolving 
material properties of generative AI systems.
- Examining strategies of generative AI providers to shape and influence 
governance regimes – for example, through research, lobbying, tool 
development, and terms of use/usage policies.
- Understanding how institutional dynamics in particular sectors and 
cultural industries (e.g., journalism, education, entertainment) shape 
the design, use and effects of generative AI systems.
- Comparing how governance regimes observe, inspect and modify 
generative AI systems (e.g., China’s central algorithm registry vs. the 
EU’s proposed database for high-risk AI systems).
- Investigating how sociotechnical imaginaries about generative AI 
(e.g., perceived “existential risks”) inform the design, substance and 
enforcement of particular regulatory frameworks.
- Connecting considerations about the global political economy of AI to 
geopolitical issues about digital sovereignty, as illustrated by US 
export controls for specific AI chips.

Submission Instructions and Timeline:
Please submit an abstract of 500-800 words (including references) to 
(f.l.ferrari /at/ uu.nl) and (joanne.kuai /at/ kau.se) no later than 15 February 2024. 
The abstract should specify: 1) the problem or question being addressed, 
2) the paper’s methodological or analytical approach, and 3) the 
anticipated results or conclusions of the research. Decisions about the 
selection of abstracts will be communicated to authors by 15 March 2024.

The deadline for submitting invited papers is 31 August 2024. The 
special issue will follow the submission and review guidelines of 
Information, Communication & Society (See Instructions for Authors). 
Each invited paper will be peer-reviewed. An invitation to submit a full 
paper does not automatically ensure its acceptance in the special issue 
or in the journal. No payment from the authors will be required. For 
questions, please reach out via email to the guest editors.

Check out the full call for papers here: 
http://bit.ly/generative-ai-governance 
<http://bit.ly/generative-ai-governance>

---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------