How to Ask the ‘Right’ Questions about Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences? Human-Centered AI as a Problem and as a Solution

In 1985, an STS scholar, Steve Woolgar, published a paper, “Why not a Sociology of Machines? The Case of Sociology and Artificial Intelligence”. Yet, there is no solid sociological (social sciences in general) tradition of studying AI phenomena up to now. Why? Part of the answer: Woolgar’s question...

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Main Author: Andrey Rezaev
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: LibraryPress@UF 2025-05-01
Series:Proceedings of the International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference
Online Access:https://journals.flvc.org/FLAIRS/article/view/139027
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author Andrey Rezaev
author_facet Andrey Rezaev
author_sort Andrey Rezaev
collection DOAJ
description In 1985, an STS scholar, Steve Woolgar, published a paper, “Why not a Sociology of Machines? The Case of Sociology and Artificial Intelligence”. Yet, there is no solid sociological (social sciences in general) tradition of studying AI phenomena up to now. Why? Part of the answer: Woolgar’s question – are artificially intelligent machines sufficiently like humans to be treated as the subject of sociological inquiry? – directed scholars in the wrong way. In this paper, we demonstrate why this direction is wrong and which one should be taken instead. We begin with a rather short discussion of the “artificial intelligence’ (AI) definition; then, after a brief sketch of the human-centered system strategy, we delineate five types and three levels of social sciences research on AI. After that, we characterize our understanding of the problem of AI and Ethics. Further, we claim that HCAI is a united idea for the AI community, including social scientists who study machines and algorithms in society. In conclusion, we summarize our argument on why Woolgar’s question is ‘wrong’ and what the ‘right’ questions are for AI research.
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spelling doaj-art-92473e2cc1cc4bab9345d8e527a38eeb2025-08-20T03:49:42ZengLibraryPress@UFProceedings of the International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference2334-07542334-07622025-05-0138110.32473/flairs.38.1.139027How to Ask the ‘Right’ Questions about Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences? Human-Centered AI as a Problem and as a SolutionAndrey Rezaev0UzbekistanIn 1985, an STS scholar, Steve Woolgar, published a paper, “Why not a Sociology of Machines? The Case of Sociology and Artificial Intelligence”. Yet, there is no solid sociological (social sciences in general) tradition of studying AI phenomena up to now. Why? Part of the answer: Woolgar’s question – are artificially intelligent machines sufficiently like humans to be treated as the subject of sociological inquiry? – directed scholars in the wrong way. In this paper, we demonstrate why this direction is wrong and which one should be taken instead. We begin with a rather short discussion of the “artificial intelligence’ (AI) definition; then, after a brief sketch of the human-centered system strategy, we delineate five types and three levels of social sciences research on AI. After that, we characterize our understanding of the problem of AI and Ethics. Further, we claim that HCAI is a united idea for the AI community, including social scientists who study machines and algorithms in society. In conclusion, we summarize our argument on why Woolgar’s question is ‘wrong’ and what the ‘right’ questions are for AI research. https://journals.flvc.org/FLAIRS/article/view/139027
spellingShingle Andrey Rezaev
How to Ask the ‘Right’ Questions about Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences? Human-Centered AI as a Problem and as a Solution
Proceedings of the International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference
title How to Ask the ‘Right’ Questions about Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences? Human-Centered AI as a Problem and as a Solution
title_full How to Ask the ‘Right’ Questions about Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences? Human-Centered AI as a Problem and as a Solution
title_fullStr How to Ask the ‘Right’ Questions about Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences? Human-Centered AI as a Problem and as a Solution
title_full_unstemmed How to Ask the ‘Right’ Questions about Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences? Human-Centered AI as a Problem and as a Solution
title_short How to Ask the ‘Right’ Questions about Artificial Intelligence in Social Sciences? Human-Centered AI as a Problem and as a Solution
title_sort how to ask the right questions about artificial intelligence in social sciences human centered ai as a problem and as a solution
url https://journals.flvc.org/FLAIRS/article/view/139027
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