"AI AI i datorn där, säg mig vem lämpligast som nationell rådgivare i landet är"

Sammanfattning

This study investigates how social media users express opinions about Swedish politicians’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political practice, focusing on two case studies (Ebba Busch and Ulf Kristersson). The aim is to understand how political trust is shaped in an era of digitalization and emerging technologies. Using thematic analysis with an abductive approach, complemented by theories of political trust, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the concept of moral panic, the study analyzes 3 153 user comments from Facebook and Reddit and applies a comparative case analysis. Findings indicate that user expressions range from trust and optimism to moralizing skepticism regarding AI use in political practice. Interpretations of AI were filtered through existing trust or distrust in the politicians: when politicians demonstrated transparency and responsibility, reactions tended toward acceptance, whereas perceived lack of transparency elicited suspicion and moral panic. Differences in reactions were tied less to the technology itself than to how AI was communicated and managed by the politicians. The study concludes that users’ trust is shaped more by how AI is perceived and communicated than by the technology itself.