AI Imaginaries in Asia

Abstract This introduction to the Asiascape: Digital Asia special issue on AI imaginaries in Asia discusses how people imagine the role of technology in their societies. It reviews how scholarship has made sense of such ‘social imaginaries’ and their relevance before proposing that research move beyond dominant epistemologies and socio-technical imaginaries to examine Asia as a site for technological innovation and alternative futures. It asks how actors from the region – so often cast in American and European fantasies about technology as the exotic ‘Other’ – envision their own AI futures. The article offers an overview of the ten contributions to this special issue and concludes with an appeal for policy makers and practitioners to engage with local narratives, affective expectations, and value systems that are rooted in specific language and cultural contexts so that they can better engage with users, particularly those who need help the most.