Abstract Book of the 11th World Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities
Year: 2027
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Legitimacy Criteria in Strategic Communication in The Age of Artificial Intelligence Kıvılcım Romya Bilgin
ABSTRACT:
Strategic communication has traditionally centered on meaning-making, agenda-setting, persuasion, and reputation management. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning–based classification and predictive systems, has fundamentally transformed this field. Communication is no longer limited to message design; it increasingly functions as an algorithmically structured architecture of behavioral influence. In this context, strategic communication relies on managing a data-driven influence cycle that includes data collection, profiling, personalization, and optimization. While these processes enhance precision and effectiveness, they simultaneously generate profound legitimacy challenges. When the scope and limits of AI-enabled influence are not transparently defined and institutionally regulated, strategic communication risks shifting from persuasion to opaque manipulation. This study takes legitimacy as its core analytical framework and argues that AI-driven strategic communication requires a clearly articulated normative boundary. It examines the conditions under which AI-based influence practices can be considered legally compliant, democratically acceptable, and ethically justified. Legitimacy is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct encompassing legal conformity, transparency, accountability, proportionality, and the protection of fundamental rights. Drawing on three major European regulatory frameworks—the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and Digital Services Act—the paper proposes a set of evaluative criteria for assessing the legitimacy of AI-based strategic communication processes. By integrating regulatory principles with communication theory, the study aims to distinguish legitimate strategic influence from manipulative algorithmic intervention within democratic governance structures.
Keywords: Algorithmic Governance; Democratic Accountability; Fundamental Rights; Data Protection; Transparency