In the recent article for Tech Policy Press, researcher and media artist Eryk Salvaggio commented on the polarisation of the AI debate, quoting our newly formed community - thank you!
The article states that while AI advocates use anecdotal success stories to generate excitement, anti-AI voices often reduce the technology to its worst applications under capitalism. What unites those two extremes (or hype and criti-hype, as Lee Vinsel writes) is a loss of faith in democratic politics to regulate AI effectively. Salvaggio warns against a complete rejection of AI which risks conceding power to corporations or reactionary figures.
So, what can we do in this overwhelming landscape of AI hype? First, Eryk's article calls for the recognition of 'good' use cases or AI: "Saying AI can be good is not apologist: it’s a recognition that we must resist the most primal uses of the tech to consolidate power and think about our collective future". Second, he puts his hopes in democracy and deliberation as mechanisms that could prevent corporate capture of technologies: "Algorithms cannot deliberate on behalf of a democracy, and no technology is a replacement for institutions. But when the rejection of hype leads to a wholesale rejection of any related technology, it can also affirm, dangerously, the belief that public policy and deliberation have no role in shaping technology. Building movements against AI that pursue outright abandonment of technology rather than coalition building for radical regulatory oversight and participatory design is a distraction. It is a variation of the same symptom: a lack of faith that we can set the course of our collective future".
Together with Eryk, we hope that the creation of hype studies community will be the first step to intervene in the politics of hype. Reader, what practical actions would you like to see or even get involved in? Get in touch with us (criticalhypestudies -at- posteo.com) with ideas for new initiatives, writings or art. We would love to hear from you!
Tech Policy Press is a 501(c)3 nonprofit media venture that covers technology and democracy. At a time of great challenge to democracies globally, they seek to advance a pro-democracy movement in tech and tech policy.
Eryk Salvaggio is a blend of hacker, researcher, designer, and media artist exploring the social and cultural impacts of technology, including artificial intelligence. He is a 2025 visiting professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology's Humanities, Computing, and Design program and an instructor in Responsible AI at the Elisava Barcelona School of Design and Engineering. Alongside research in AI, art, and education at the MetaLab (at) Harvard University, he serves as the Emerging Technology Research Advisor to the Siegel Family Endowment and a 2025 Tech Policy Press fellow. He writes a regular newsletter at cyberneticforests.com.
