Algorithms and Consensus: A Critical Perspective on Artificial Intelligence and Political Communication

Abstract

In contemporary society, the technological landscape has been profoundly transformed by the rapid and continuous evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), which is attracting increasing attention in a variety of contexts. For these reasons, this phenomenon has stimulated considerable reflection on various fronts, making a multidisciplinary approach to its study necessary. This article offers a critical-theoretical reflection, analysing the use of AI in international politics in recent years. This provides a privileged vantage point from which to question how this situation, and the nascent “synthetic propaganda,” can influence and shape social dynamics. Political communication itself has taken on a new dimension in the digital society, changing its principles and influencing the way citizens are addressed. The analysis examines the risks of a drift towards forms of manipulation that can have a negative influence on society and on the relationship with political institutions themselves. The aim of the document is to provide an original contribution to the study of the dynamics that arise from the interaction between AI and political power, analysing both the opportunities offered and the risks arising from the use of this technology.