Beyond the individual: governing AI’s societal harm

In this article, I propose a distinction between individual harm, collective harm and societal harm caused by artificial intelligence (AI), and focus particularly on the latter. By listing examples and identifying concerns, I provide a conceptualisation of AI’s societal harm so as to better enable its identification and mitigation. Drawing on an analogy with environmental law, which also aims to protect an interest affecting society at large, I propose governance mechanisms that EU policymakers should consider to counter AI’s societal harm.