Activism by the AI Community: Analysing Recent Achievements and Future Prospects

The artificial intelligence community (AI) has recently engaged in activism\nin relation to their employers, other members of the community, and their\ngovernments in order to shape the societal and ethical implications of AI. It\nhas achieved some notable successes, but prospects for further political\norganising and activism are uncertain. We survey activism by the AI community\nover the last six years; apply two analytical frameworks drawing upon the\nliterature on epistemic communities, and worker organising and bargaining; and\nexplore what they imply for the future prospects of the AI community. Success\nthus far has hinged on a coherent shared culture, and high bargaining power due\nto the high demand for a limited supply of AI talent. Both are crucial to the\nfuture of AI activism and worthy of sustained attention.\n