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ZENODO
Book . 2026
License: CC 0
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Book . 2026
License: CC 0
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Book . 2026
License: CC 0
Data sources: Datacite
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AI Tools, Not Gods: Why Artificial Intelligence Hype Threatens Global Governance-and How to Fix It

Authors: De Cock, Caroline;

AI Tools, Not Gods: Why Artificial Intelligence Hype Threatens Global Governance-and How to Fix It

Abstract

This book examines how four dominant myths—Magic, Madness, Heaven, and Sin—shape the global discourse on Artificial Intelligence and distort the development of technology policy. By framing AI as a mysterious entity, an existential threat, a utopian savior, or a moral scapegoat, these narratives obscure the reality of AI as a statistical tool . This mythological thinking leads to "policy hallucinations," where legislators create regulations that address science fiction scenarios rather than tangible harms such as algorithmic bias, labor displacement, and the erosion of democratic oversight. The work dissects the "Policy Machine"—the institutional pipeline spanning academia, media, and bureaucracy—to demonstrate how hype and panic result in resource misallocation and governance whiplash. Finally, it proposes a blueprint for mature AI governance rooted in democratic realism and three core principles: Accountability (treating AI as a commercial product to establish liability), Proportionality (prioritizing evidence-based, risk-proportional interventions), and Durability (adopting technology-neutral, principles-based regulations).

Keywords

Artificial intelligence, Governance, Policy, Artificial Intelligence/legislation & jurisprudence, Government policy, Artificial Intelligence, Linguistics/legislation & jurisprudence, Policy guideline, Linguistics/legislation & jurisprudence, FOS: Languages and literature, Linguistics, Policy instrument, Artificial Intelligence/legislation & jurisprudence

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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