Research cluster The AI Welfare State

One of the five funded research clusters is titled "The AI Welfare State", and is coordinated by Södertörn University, with representatives from Lund University and Karlstad University on the management team where Professor Malin Rönnblom is one of the three cluster leaders. The cluster involves four other Swedish universities and includes PhD positions, postdoc positions, guest researchers and different research collaboration initiatives.

The research focus of the cluster addresses the vulnerabilities that emerge with the introduction of artificial intelligence into our welfare systems for better service and control. As AI technologies become increasingly embedded in public services, new potential harms materialize that imperil both the technology and the individuals affected by these systems. By examining AI vulnerabilities in three research streams focusing on imaginaries, governance and practices, the cluster provides a comprehensive analysis of how AI impacts society. The cluster combines technological analysis with an analysis of how citizens relate to AI in welfare in terms of meaning-making, feelings and perceptions. Through its ambitious empirical and theoretical research as well as a well-integrated outreach program, the cluster aspires to highlight AI vulnerabilities for policymakers and the public, facilitating a well informed and sustainable AI welfare state.