Pragmatic cohabitation: how Türkiye’s digital publics negotiate the meaning of generative AI
AI and Society, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s00146-026-03199-z
- Dergi Adı: AI and Society
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Applied Science & Technology Source, Compendex, INSPEC, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest), Sociology Source Ultimate (EBSCO), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: AI governance, Generative AI, Non-western AI, Platform discourse, Social construction of technology
- Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
How do publics in non-Western digital environments make sense of generative AI, and do these processes unfold sequentially or coexist? This study addresses these questions through a longitudinal discourse analysis of 11,816 entries on Ekşi Sözlük, one of Türkiye’s most visible digital platforms, covering the period from ChatGPT’s launch (November 2022) to December 2025. Drawing on the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) framework, the study treats platform discourse as an active site of sociotechnical meaning-making. Methodologically, the research combines netnography, lexicon-assisted mapping, and interpretive discourse analysis. Three recurring discursive orientations are identified: instrumental stabilization, speculative meaning-making, and epistemic re-negotiation. The findings challenge linear stage models of AI adoption, showing that all three orientations coexist throughout the period, with changes occurring in relative prominence rather than through sequential replacement. The study makes three primary contributions: it extends SCOT-based analysis to a non-Western AI context; it frames public trust as a calibration practice developed through repeated use; and it identifies ‘distributed epistemic labor ‘—the uncompensated work users perform to share reliability assessments. Finally, it proposes ‘pragmatic cohabitation ‘ to describe the persistent coexistence of practical reliance, epistemic critique, and speculative engagement that characterizes public AI discourse under conditions of continuous technological change.