Progress without Consent: AI Deployment and the Democratic Legitimacy Gap

Authors

• Engin Obucic, International Burch UniversityFollow
• Ekrem Nurovic, International Burch UniversityFollow
• Mersid Poturak, International Burch UniversityFollow

Abstract

Drawing upon critical and technology studies, this conceptual provocation introduces the concept of “Progress without Consent”, referring to the introduction of AI technological innovation into society without collective societal deliberation, legitimacy and consent. The paper problematises the introduction of structurally transformative AI technology into society, the strategy of depolitisation of this technology, robotic automation of society without social mandate, and the manner in which technological innovation moves faster than democratic institutions can process its implications on societal structures. Ultimately, the authors argue, the development and deployment of AI does not belong to isolated labs and the private sphere of technological innovation but requires a transfer to the public sphere, representing the space of rational communication, collective contestation and democratic consent.

Recommended Citation

Obucic, Engin; Nurovic, Ekrem; and Poturak, Mersid (2026) "Progress without Consent: AI Deployment and the Democratic Legitimacy Gap," Communications of the IIMA: Vol. 24: Iss. 1, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58729/1941-6687.1519
Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/ciima/vol24/iss1/8