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Perspectives Beyond P(doom): Power, Uncertainty and Mundane Engineering in AI Ethics

Authors:

Per Erik Strandberg, Eduard Paul Enoiu, Mirgita Frasheri

Research groups:

Software Testing Laboratory
Formal Modelling and Analysis of Embedded Systems

Publication Type:

Conference/Workshop Paper

Venue:

9th Conference on Technology Ethics

Abstract

The informal concept P(doom), the probability of an AI triggered existential catastrophe, has become a visible part of AI safety discourse in scientific, engineering and public spheres. In this paper, we examine P(doom) from cultural, epistemic, and practical perspectives through which AI risk is made meaningful. Using collaborative autoethnography, we develop three situated perspectives: AI and power imbalances, deep uncertainty and decision making, and engineering culture and responsibility. Our synthesis suggests that conditions under which knowledge about AI risk is produced, controlled, trusted, and acted upon are important. Across the three accounts we identified cross-cutting themes concerning narratives, epistemic limits, socio technical responsibility, human judgment, and appropriate AI use. We argue that AI ethics should move toward understanding how to responsibly address uncertainty through democratic and institutional control, risk management, ethical formation, AI literacy, and reviewable engineering practices. The contribution is a situated reframing of P(doom) into a set of perspectives about power, knowledge, use and responsibility.

Bibtex

@inproceedings{Strandberg7422,
author = {Per Erik Strandberg and Eduard Paul Enoiu and Mirgita Frasheri },
title = {Perspectives Beyond P(doom): Power, Uncertainty and Mundane Engineering in AI Ethics},
month = {September},
year = {2026},
booktitle = {9th Conference on Technology Ethics},
url = {http://www.es.mdu.se/publications/7422-}
}