In person icon The Role of New Technologies in Interest Group Politics

Abstract

New disruptive technologies are changing how interest groups engage with their members, the public, and policymakers. While countless contributions have focused on the governance of artificial intelligence (AI), its effects on policymaking in general, and lobbying in particular, have received relatively little attention. AI can help interest groups better understand member preferences, predict legislative outcomes, generate and disseminate highly targeted content on social media, and facilitate the production of policy expertise more broadly. While some civil society groups rely on algorithms to detect hate speech in social media, others might use them to produce deepfakes. While AI has the potential to benefit disadvantaged segments of society, it could also become an exceptionally powerful tool in the hands of already influential actors. OpenAI’s usage policy, for instance, explicitly states that its API platform should not be used to “engage in political campaigning or lobbying, including generating campaign materials personalized to or targeted at specific demographics”. While the tech press regularly highlights the potential risks of AI tools in policymaking, interest group scholars can provide much-needed empirical evidence on their use by lobbyists. While recent studies have already highlighted AI’s potential as an effective lobbying instrument (Chalmers and Chen, 2024), we encourage submissions that explore the use of AI and social media in lobbying.

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