Künstliche Intelligenz: Die Vereinheitlichung der Entscheidung

This philosophical thesis examines the influence of artificial intelligence systems on social systems. The academic motivation behind this study is the question of the extent to which artificial intelligence can become a constitutive part of social relations. It is generally assumed that artificial intelligence — and technology in general — is capable of bringing about morally undesirable, disruptive transformations of social structures. Against this backdrop, the aim of this thesis is to provide a sociological analysis of this phenomenon in order to contribute to the ethical debate. This thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, I develop a methodological framework to conceptualize the theoretical context. In Chapter 2, I first address the philosophical foundations of technology in order to define the task of applied ethics. In Chapter 3, I present a conceptual analysis of the concept of artificial intelligence and algorithmic decision-making. Subsequently, in Chapter 4, I draw on social systems theory to identify the constitutive features of social systems, with the aim of ultimately determining the role of decision-making in the constitution of social systems. It is precisely at this point, I argue, that artificial intelligence — in the form of algorithmic decision-making — can influence the constitution of social systems. In the second part, I turn to three existing ethical debates surrounding artificial intelligence, with the aim of offering new and helpful perspectives on the respective ethical problems based on the framework developed. In Chapter 5, I examine the relationship between self-driving cars and the structure of the transportation system and propose a solution to so-called dilemma situations. In Chapter 6, I examine algorithmic predictive policing tools and the social learnability of the legal system to explore the possibility of algorithmic crime predictions. Finally, in Chapter 7, I address the relationship between algorithmic recommendation systems and the media system. Here, I analyze the influence of algorithmic decision-making on political polarization on the internet. In the third part — Chapter 8 — I conclude by reflecting on these applications of the methodology and provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the approach I have developed.