“This post describes four different notions of AI democratisation currently in use: democratisation of AI use, democratisation of AI development, democratisation of AI benefits, and democratisation of AI governance. Although these different concepts of democratisation often complement each other, they sometimes conflict. For example, if the public prefers for access to certain kinds of AI systems to be restricted, then the “democratisation of AI governance” may call for access restrictions—but enacting these restrictions may hinder the “democratisation of AI development”.

The purpose of this post is to illustrate the multifaceted and sometimes conflicting nature of AI democratisation and provide a foundation for more productive conversations.”