AI Progress and Transformation of Societies’ Everyday Life in the European Union and Central Asia: Comparative Sociological Analysis

Our proposed presentation at the 5th ISA Forum of Sociology is developed in the context of issues relating to the processes of socio-economic, political, and cultural transformation in the ‘Age of Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Sociality’. It is a comparative study of the practices of AI development that organize the everyday life of societies in the European Union and Central Asia.

The study adopts a comparative sociological lens, leveraging empirical data sourced from reputable platforms such as Eurostat, OECD, and pertinent national statistical offices. The analysis aims to unravel the tensions, trust dynamics, and broader transformations induced by the integration of AI into everyday life.

First, we will discuss theoretical and methodological frames of studying AI and Human-Centered AI in current sociological production. Second, the concept (and related problems) of society’s everyday life will be discussed. Third, we will rather shortly examine several issues of current instrumentalist policies regarding AI in the European Union and the governments of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan which represent the core countries of East Asia. The discussion will follow with an overview of problems and possible solutions to AI progress in the European Union and Central Asia.

The paper will be based on the specific data and examples that come from the ongoing research projects. Some results of our study published in the Current Sociology journal in 2023 will be discussed.