Toward intelligence or ignorance? Performativity and uncertainty in government tech narratives

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6426484
AutoresLeif Sundberg (0000-0002-1337-0479), Katarina L Gidlund (0000-0003-3315-5925), Katarina Gidlund, Aron Larsson (0000-0003-0310-0018), Niclas Olofsson (0000-0002-8018-7594)
Año2025
Volumen42
Número2
Páginas102032-102032
Fecha de publicación2025-05-10
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaGovernment Information Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0740-624X • E-ISSN: 1872-9517
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.giq.2025.102032
OpenAlexW4410253599
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas5
Referencias citadas45

Emerging technologies are often accompanied by optimistic “tech narratives” that emphasize their potential benefits to society. These narratives appear in various sources, including public policy documents, media coverage, and academic literature. However, identifying their origins and underlying rationale can be challenging. This paper addresses the research question (RQ): How can government tech narratives be traced and unveiled? To answer this question, we draw on the theoretical frameworks of “performativity” and “uncertainty assessment” to develop a two-step approach for investigating tech narratives. We apply this methodology to trace a narrative promoting the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Swedish public sector back to its source, an emerging government AI policy program. Our analysis reveals a hybridization of economic and political interests, as well as a recognized ignorance reflected in the lack of scrutiny of highly uncertain calculations. By presenting this two-step methodology for tracing and critically examining tech narratives, this paper makes a methodological contribution. In applying this approach, we also provide empirical insights into how tech narratives facilitate the materialization of technological infrastructures

Business · Epistemology · Government (linguistics · Ignorance · Linguistics · Narrative · Performativity · Political science · Sociology · Gender Studies · Information Systems Theories and Implementation · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Philosophy · Social Media and Politics