This chapter offers a critical perspective on the contingent formation of artificial intelligence as a key sociotechnical institution in contemporary societies. It shows how the development of AI is not merely a product of functional technological development and improvement but depends just as much on economical, political, and discursive drivers. It builds on work from STS and critical algorithm studies surfacing that technological developments are always contingent on and resulting from transformations along multiple scientific trajectories as well as interaction between multiple actors and discourses. For our conceptual understanding of AI and its epistemology, this is a consequential perspective. It directs attention on different issues: away from detecting impact and bias ex post, and towards a perspective that centers on how AI is coming into being as a powerful sociotechnical entity. We illustrate this process in three key domains: technological research, media discourse, and regulatory governance.
