Science, common goods and digital sovereignty: Towards a community-governed artificial intelligence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3145/infonomy.26.018Keywords:
Science, Global knowledge, Common good, Digital sovereignty, Artificial intelligence, AI, Governance, Community, Big language models, Regulatory frameworks, Integrity, Equity, International scientific organizations, CERN, UNESCO, UN, United Nations, Infrastructure, Wikimedia FoundationAbstract
The rapid integration of large language models (LLMs) and generative artificial intelligence into scientific workflows has introduced a structural asymmetry: the instruments that increasingly mediate knowledge synthesis are owned by commercial entities, which govern and optimize them according to incentive structures that diverge from the epistemic norms of science. In this paper, I argue that regulatory frameworks grounded in ethical principles, while necessary, are insufficient to safeguard the integrity of the scientific record or to ensure the equitable participation of researchers in low- and middle-income countries. Through a synthesis of evidence drawn from the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical research, open science analysis, and public health research, this paper highlights the population-level risks associated with knowledge generated or mediated by commercial interests. To mitigate these risks, I argue that international scientific bodies must lead the transition toward sovereign, community-owned AI infrastructure. I situate this proposal within the institutional momentum generated by the United Nations Global Digital Compact, the establishment of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, and the nascent Global Dialogue on AI Governance. Drawing on the precedents set by CERN and the Wikimedia Foundation, I contend that the global research community must translate political will into concrete computational sovereignty. Designed as an Open Commons, such infrastructure would transcend mere research utility to become the driving force of a community-governed global knowledge ecosystem.
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