Introduction
Abstract
This introduction traces the extensive but underrecognized history of engagement between anthropology and artificial intelligence, revealing a mutually influential relationship spanning seven decades. Rather than positioning anthropological interest in AI as merely reactive to recent developments, we demonstrate how anthropologists have consistently participated in shaping, critiquing, and reimagining AI systems since cybernetics research. We argue that anthropological perspectives remain essential for contextualizing AI as a complex sociotechnical phenomenon shaped by cultural assumptions and varied forms of agency.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Race
Genetics
and Society
Cybernetics and Technology in Society
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Anthropology and AI
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Pages
- 1–23
- Publication date
- 9 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter