Experimentation as governance: Publics and participation in AI testbeds

Abstract

This commentary engages with Thao Phan's analysis of AI testbeds and the colonial histories of experimentation that underpin them. It argues that testbeds are not only sites where technologies are trialled but also sites where publics may emerge around concerns about surveillance, security and desirable technological futures. Drawing on anthropological research on public responses to drones and urban experimentation in Denmark, the commentary suggests that experimentation increasingly functions as a mode of governance that organises participation and generates knowledge. At the same time, participation in experimental projects produce forms of fatigue when citizens’ contributions are solicited without meaningful influence on outcomes. The commentary further highlights how contemporary AI testbeds frequently target marginalised populations, raising questions about value extraction, inequality and the political economy of experimentation.