How are the politics, ethics, and economies of AI changing, and how do research funders work with AI? This panel presents insights from two recent projects mapping trajectories of AI research and building best practice on AI in research funding; and identifies next steps for AI in research systems.
Long Abstract
Rapid developments in AI are capturing huge amounts of attention and investment, and applications of AI methods are proliferating within research systems. But there has been little effort to understand trajectories of AI development and mechanisms of adoption - what problems and issues are prioritised and neglected? Which disciplines are over- and under-represented? Which funders, countries, universities and companies dominate? What is the balance between private, public and third sector funding? Despite common terminology of ‘Responsible AI’ and ‘AI ethics’, there is little interrogation of where patterns of AI research might overlap or miss issues of public value.
Meanwhile, use of AI as a tool in research is growing rapidly. Research funders can benefit from integrating AI in research funding and evaluation, but lack clarity on where to begin or how to use AI responsibly. In this panel, we will hear from the UKRI ESRC Metascience PAIR project, which is studying alternative ways of mapping AI research; and RoRI’s GRAIL project, which has brought together an international consortium of research funders to share knowledge and develop best practice on AI in research funding and evaluation. The session will discuss new ways of surfacing and mapping the politics, ethics, practices and economics of AI as an object of research and research funding. It will discuss the challenges faced by funders in exploring the use of AI in delivering on their scientific and policy missions, and present ‘Funding by Algorithm,’ new shared guidance on AI adoption in the research funder context.
What can mapping tell us about the politics, ethics and economics of AI trajectories? The panel will cover how mapping might illustrate problems, issues and needs prioritised or neglected; identify disciplines over- and under-represented; reveal dominant funders, countries, universities and firms.
Long abstract
Rapid developments in AI are capturing huge amounts of attention and investment. These innovations have been enabled by relatively recent research findings in computer science, but the technology is often presented as inevitable and well-defined. There is little effort to understand trajectories of AI development - what problems and issues are prioritised and neglected? Which disciplines are over- and under-represented? Which funders, countries, universities and companies dominate? What is the balance between private, public and third sector funding? Despite common terminology of ‘Responsible AI’ and ‘AI ethics’, there is little interrogation of where patterns of AI research might overlap or miss issues of public value.
In collaboration with the UKRI ESRC Metascience PAIR project and the EPSRC Generative AI Hub, this panel will convene metascience researchers with those involved in AI to explore alternative ways of mapping AI research.
We are interested in mapping techniques for what they can reveal about how AI trajectories are directed; the contingencies, contexts and values that influence those directions; nascent directions not pursued; and the borders and boundaries around AI innovation as well as connections and linkages within and between AI and other disciplines and domains.
The session will highlight qualitative and quantitative social science that offers new ways of showing the politics, ethics and economics of AI. Approaches might include scientometrics, topic modelling, surveys, discourse analysis, critical accounting, situational approaches and new combinations of these and other methods.
The on-schedule panel session will be twinned with a community-building workshop on Thursday July 3rd.
Helen Buckley Woods (RoRI University College London)
Jack Stilgoe (UCL)
Jon Holm (Research Council of Norway)
Katrin Milzow (Swiss National Science Foundation)
Short Abstract
How are the politics, ethics, and economies of AI changing, and how do research funders work with AI? This panel presents insights from two recent projects mapping trajectories of AI research and building best practice on AI in research funding; and identifies next steps for AI in research systems.
Long Abstract
Rapid developments in AI are capturing huge amounts of attention and investment, and applications of AI methods are proliferating within research systems. But there has been little effort to understand trajectories of AI development and mechanisms of adoption - what problems and issues are prioritised and neglected? Which disciplines are over- and under-represented? Which funders, countries, universities and companies dominate? What is the balance between private, public and third sector funding? Despite common terminology of ‘Responsible AI’ and ‘AI ethics’, there is little interrogation of where patterns of AI research might overlap or miss issues of public value.
Meanwhile, use of AI as a tool in research is growing rapidly. Research funders can benefit from integrating AI in research funding and evaluation, but lack clarity on where to begin or how to use AI responsibly. In this panel, we will hear from the UKRI ESRC Metascience PAIR project, which is studying alternative ways of mapping AI research; and RoRI’s GRAIL project, which has brought together an international consortium of research funders to share knowledge and develop best practice on AI in research funding and evaluation. The session will discuss new ways of surfacing and mapping the politics, ethics, practices and economics of AI as an object of research and research funding. It will discuss the challenges faced by funders in exploring the use of AI in delivering on their scientific and policy missions, and present ‘Funding by Algorithm,’ new shared guidance on AI adoption in the research funder context.
Accepted paper
Session 1 Monday 30 June, 2025, -