Dr Caio Augusto Martins Simoneti

PhD thesis

Technologies of Governance: AI Imaginaries and the Constitution of the Human

My PhD research analysed the politics of contemporary imaginaries of artificial intelligence (AI). It situated contemporary ideas and discourses on AI in juxtaposition to the history of conceptions of intelligence and reason in modern thought, with a special focus on their role in shaping conceptions of humanity. By highlighting the continuities and disruptions brought by these AI imaginaries, I identified how they are embedded with specific understandings about intelligence, humanity, global order and desirable futures. I have shown how these ideas, and their connection to the history of intelligence, currently shape present concerns and hopes, such as fears of AI as an existential risk to humanity, ethical debates on the use of autonomous weapons systems, the potentials of AI for governing climate change, and visions of AI-powered utopian futures.

After the PhD

Following my PhD, I plan to continue in academia and work on adapting my thesis to be published as a monograph. Some of my interests for future research include the politics of AI-generated deep fakes and the political ideas and projects of tech industry elites.