[NEW] 160th STIG PoP Seminar “Can Regulation Make People Less Scared? Public Sentiment Dynamics in EU AI ACT?”

Date & Time:
13:00-14:30 Wednesday 18 December 2024

Venue:
Seminar Room D, 12F, International Academic Research Bldg., Hongo Campus, The University of Tokyo

Speaker:
Emily Kim, PhD student
School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology

Overview:
This study examines the role of regulatory interventions in shaping public sentiment toward emerging technologies, grounded in policy feedback theory, which posits that policies are active inputs shaping citizen perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. The European Union’s AI Act, the first comprehensive legislative framework for AI governance, provides a unique case to explore how robust regulation mitigates societal risks and fosters institutional accountability, reducing negative sentiment and enhancing trust in AI systems. Using Reddit as a data source, this research employs aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) to capture AI-specific public discourse and applies a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) framework to evaluate sentiment dynamics among EU and US residents before and after the Act’s implementation in August 2024. The findings are expected to demonstrate that EU residents exhibit reduced fear and increased trust following the Act’s enforcement, aligning with policy feedback theory’s prediction that clear and structured governance fosters public confidence. In contrast, US residents, operating in a fragmented regulatory landscape, are anticipated to show stable or heightened negative sentiment due to the absence of comparable federal AI regulation. This study contributes to theoretical discussions on policy feedback and public trust while offering empirical insights into the societal impact of AI governance. The findings underscore the importance of robust legislative frameworks in addressing public concerns and fostering positive attitudes toward emerging technologies.