Artificial Intelligence and Social Change: A Sociological Investigation of Emerging Social Trends

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from a niche computational discipline to an increasingly ubiquitous social infrastructure that permeates the world of work, communication, knowledge creation and everyday life. The current paper provides a sociological analysis of the social trends that are emerging along with the spread of AI on a global scale and its applicability in the Indian context. The study aims at two aspects: First, it investigates the impact of AI adoption on social structures and trends, and second, it explores the role of AI in both negotiating and perpetuating social inequalities. The research adopts systematic secondary data synthesis design and gathers and analyzes credible data from respected reports from Pew Research Center, World Economic Forum, Stanford HAI, and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The documented evidence is appraised in the light of two hypotheses. The findings show that AI is creating some structural shock to the labour market, fueling mixed and age-sensitive public attitudes to AI, and widening the rift between cities and rural areas, and between countries. These trends are placed in a sociotechnical and social-stratification theory context. The paper argues that AI is a catalyst and a reflection of social transformation, and needs a governance approach with a social perspective.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Social Change, Digital Divide, Sociotechnical Systems, Social Inequality.