Artificial intelligence and democracy: pathway to progress or decline?

The interplay between artificial intelligence (AI) development and democracy has been of significant debate. While some scholars suggest that AI expansion can enhance democratic health by improving public services, fostering citizen trust, and boosting economic opportunities, others argue that AI poses a substantial threat to democratic values. A comprehensive review of the literature reveals a scarcity of comparative studies that evaluate AI’s impact on democracy across multiple nations, with most existing research focusing on qualitative or theoretical discussions. Addressing these gaps, this research employs a two-way fixed effect model to evaluate the impact of AI development on democratic health in 72 countries that have developed and published their national AI strategies between 2010 and 2023. The findings indicate that AI development is negatively associated with democracy levels. This means that higher AI development is associated with lower levels of democracy. This study also highlights the importance of political factors. Countries with well-established parliamentary systems, rather than presidential systems, may be better equipped to manage and mitigate the negative impacts of AI on democracy.