The rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI) presents a unique and timely opportunity to examine AI’s intersections with various challenges involving race and ethnicity in today’s global society. AI encompasses a range of technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, all of which can impact societal dynamics in multifaceted ways. Given the rapid pace of AI development and its profound impact on society, it is imperative for social scientists to engage with this burgeoning field.

Co-edited by scholars from the social sciences and computer science, this Research Topic is dedicated to exploring the pivotal intersections of AI with race and ethnicity on both local and global scales. It examines how AI can affect dynamics within and among racial and ethnic communities, including the specific challenges faced by asylum seekers and their receiving communities, as well as those in less developed regions. Additionally, it explores how AI can be harnessed or misused by stakeholders such as policymakers, governments, activists, and educators. The aim is to investigate AI’s potential as a tool for promoting sustainable intergroup peace and understanding while critically assessing the risks of its exploitation in exacerbating societal divides and conflicts.

In this discourse, we also recognize the importance of layers of other identity dimensions, including but not limited to socioeconomic status, religion, political conviction, and gender identities, as interconnected characteristics. These factors are particularly significant in their cultural contexts, such as the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in societies where non-traditional gender identities and practices are criminalized, or women’s access to AI and digital tools in cultures with traditional gender-role expectations.

The primary goal is to create a platform for multidisciplinary dialogue on AI's role in shaping and responding to inter- and intra-racial and ethnic dynamics. We encourage analyses that consider how AI can both reinforce and challenge these dynamics, particularly in the context of global migration and underprivileged communities. This exploration will also delve into how various individual characteristics intersect with and influence these racial and ethnic dimensions.

We are looking for contributions on topics including but not limited to:

• AI and racial/ethnic disparities: Examination of how AI impacts different racial and ethnic groups with a particular emphasis on systemic biases and equitable representation. For example, facial recognition technologies have been shown to have higher error rates for some groups of color, leading to concerns about biased policing and surveillance.

• AI and education: How can AI tools be leveraged to create inclusive and equitable learning environments while tackling potential pitfalls like teacher displacement and algorithmic bias? What are the implications for marginalized students as well as special needs students? For instance, AI-driven educational platforms could either support personalized learning or exacerbate existing inequities if not designed with utmost care.

• AI's role with asylum seekers: Exploration of how AI can be utilized to efficiently manage asylum processing, facilitating a balanced approach for receiving communities while also promoting respectful interactions and mutual understanding between asylum seekers and host communities with an emphasis on cultural awareness and pluralism. An example is using AI to predict migration patterns and allocate resources effectively.

• AI in underprivileged communities: Studies on AI's potential to address critical issues in communities with limited resources, such as using AI-powered healthcare diagnostics to improve access to medical care in remote areas or in communities where seeking mental or physical healthcare is stigmatized.

• AI for harmonious coexistence: Integration of AI-driven platforms designed to enhance societal harmony, utilizing virtual reality, AI-guided conversations, and customized educational resources to cultivate understanding and positive engagement across a spectrum of social divisions including race, ethnicity, religion, and more.

• Intersectionality and AI: Research on how race and ethnicity intersect with such dimensions as socioeconomic status, disability and health status, gender, and LGBTQ+ concerns within the AI landscape. For example, analyzing how AI-driven hiring algorithms may perpetuate gender and racial biases.

• AI's Role in empowering marginalized communities: Exploration of the impact of AI in supporting marginalized communities, focusing on areas like professional development, public health improvement, and addressing specific local needs to enhance overall community well-being and empowerment.

• Developing ethical AI frameworks: Strategies for creating AI systems that uphold principles of racial and ethnic equity while being sensitive to intersectional dynamics. This includes creating guidelines for ethical AI development that consider the diverse needs of different communities.

Prospective authors are encouraged to ground their work in clearly defined theoretical foundations. Relevant theories may include, but are not limited to: Social Identity Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, Intersectional Theory, Social Construction of Technology, Diffusion of Innovations Theory, and Technological Determinism, or any combination thereof. We also suggest employing a diverse range of methodologies, such as quantitative analyses, qualitative case studies, mixed-methods research, systematic reviews, and action research. We welcome empirical studies, theoretical analyses, perspective papers, and comprehensive reviews to ensure a balanced understanding of AI's impact on various societal dimensions.

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Frontiers in Sociology

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