Analysing the genesis of AI democratisation: how the media and academia reacted to the regulation of a disruptive technology

Abstract

Objective: This study addresses a research gap by analysing how the media and academia covered, influenced, and responded to the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) during the initial stages of its democratisation in 2023, a moment of profound disruption. It focuses on how AI policy was portrayed during a pivotal year marked by major legislative advancements in the EU, including the AI Act. Methodology: The study uses bibliometric analysis of scientific publications indexed in the Web of Science and descriptive and semantic analysis of journalistic content registered in Factiva. Results: Peaks in media interest coincide with legislative milestones in the EU. The discourse on AI regulation in both the academic literature and the media centres on three key areas: (1) technology, (2) risk and security, and (3) healthcare, with a focus on the potential improvements offered by generative AI. Limitations: This study focuses on a limited timeframe, making it sensitive to short-term trends. Also, the databases used for the analysis exclude perspectives from social media and non-indexed sources that may nonetheless influence public opinion. These limitations can be addressed in future research. Practical implications: This study shows the differences and similarities between the media and the academic literature in their reporting on AI regulation, a topic of great social interest. It highlights the need for greater collaboration between policymakers, AI developers and society. This research also offers a framework for analysing other disruptive technologies, providing insights into how diverse stakeholders respond to regulation in the early stages of technology democratisation. This framework can be used for future developments such as agentic AI.

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