Sociotechnical imaginaries and public communication: Analytical framework and empirical illustration using the case of artificial intelligence

The concept of sociotechnical imaginaries (SIs) has been widely used and proven fruitful to understand diverging trajectories of technologies. While scholars have acknowledged the multi-layered materialisation of SIs and highlighted the importance of the communicative layer therein, this aspect has remained under-conceptualised. Therefore, we propose an analytical framework to better understand Sociotechnical Imaginaries in Public Communication (SIPCs), defined as publicly constructed visions of (un)desirable sociotechnical futures that guide action, mobilise resources and lay out trajectories for the materialisation or prevention of those futures. In this article, we first discuss relevant strands of research on SIs and public communication. We then lay out the analytical framework of SIPCs that enables the rigorous reconstruction and comparison of sociotechnical imaginaries in public and mediated communication. Finally, we illustrate the framework with examples from public communication about artificial intelligence, an emerging key technology in contemporary societies.