The Emerging Social Status of Generative AI: Vocabularies of AI Competence in Public Discourse

The emerging social status of generative AI as a social actor and interactant shapes the legitimacy of AI use. We study how the social status of generative AI takes shape in public discourse, through conflicting vocabularies of competence that justify AI’s alleged creativity or lack thereof. We analyze four sources of news, and we identify several discursive themes regarding the competence and worth of generative AI. There is a wide and nuanced spectrum of discursive positions, from AI as a competent and creative partner in work, to AI as a recombinant yet dumb tool, or quasi-creative magician. This debate reshapes public understanding of what it means to be creative and, ultimately, what is distinctive about humanity.