Numerous recent studies have explored sociotechnical imaginaries of the future of AI and its role in society, however most of this research has focused on the dominant imaginaries espoused by corporate or state-level actors. In my research I intend to study AI counter-imaginaries and the collectives behind them, both those emerging from civil society (such as artistic and activist organisations) and from groups within the AI research community. I aim to explore the values, practices and tactics at play in constructing and disseminating these imaginaries, and what mechanisms and power structures might prevent the counter-imaginaries from further proliferating.

My focus will be on counter-imaginaries from groups often marginalised within or adversely impacted by AI research, and understanding how they navigate the tensions and contradictions in imagining futures of AI for their communities that are neither wholly utopian nor wholly dystopian. I plan to identify a sample of groups to consider as in-depth case studies, and conduct my research through a combination of discourse analysis of documents produced by these groups and semi-structured qualitative interviews with their members.