1st Edition
Anthropology and AI
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Contributors
Acknowledgements
Introduction: An Anthropological History of AI
Angela K. VandenBroek, Matt Artz, and Lora Koycheva
Part I: Contexts & Frameworks
1. A Hinge for Ethnographic Interventions in AI Systems: Interlocking the Past, Present, and Future
Libuše Hannah Vepřek and Rebecca Carlson
2. Co-Becoming with AI: An Anthropological Framework for Equitable Human-AI Systems
Matt Artz
3. The Mythical Speech of Artificial Intelligence: The Imaginary of an Autonomous Agency
Andrés Pachón
4. “The Wind Under the Door:” Pareidolia and ChatGPT as a Feared and Welcome Guest
John N. A. Brown
Part II: Critical Perspectives
5. The Bullshit Problem: Re-Thinking the Epistemic Stakes of Artificial Intelligence
Angela K. VandenBroek
6. Dissecting Speech: The “Acoustic-Linguistic Divide” in Artificial Intelligence
Edward B. Kang and Juana C. Becerra Sandoval
Part III: Sociotechnical Interactions
8. Navigating the Uncanny Valley: How Conversation Designers Shape Human-AI Interaction
10. From Present Tense to Future (Im)perfect: The Role of Anthropology in the Future of AI
Kate Sieck
Conclusion: Editorial Forum on The Futures of Anthropology and AI
Lora Koycheva, Matt Artz & Angela VandenBroek
Index
Biography
Lora Koycheva is founder of Robots, actually! and Assistant Professor at the Chair of Technoscience Studies in Brandenburg Technical University, Germany.
Angela K. VandenBroek is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Texas State University, USA.
Matt Artz is the founder of Azimuth Labs and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
"Anthropology and AI highlights the significance of anthropology for the development of artificial intelligence throughout history. What makes this book so compelling is its theoretical and critical depth along with an emphasis on mutual co-shaping of people and technology. The book demonstrates how anthropologists can impact AI while also asking what the current technological developments mean for the future of anthropology as a discipline. An extraordinary and timely volume that should spark interest among both students and seasoned scholars of anthropology."
- Dr Tanja Ahlin, author of Calling Family: Digital Technologies and the Making of Care Collectives
"Indispensable. This volume is a powerful corrective, proving that anthropology isn't just reacting to AI, but a discipline responsible for shaping and steering it. The chapters and discussions bridge the gap between critical theory we teach and constructive action we need in practice. The editors raise an important call for anthropology to collaborate with the growth of AI, especially during a time when development towards AGI is increasingly distant from social consequences. By reframing our role from sideline critics to "indispensable architects” of good AI, this book will be essential reading for my students and a welcome validation for my work in the field. A vital, urgent, and necessary collection."
- Prof. Farah Qureshi, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Colby College
