FRAMING THE FUTURE OF AI: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE NARRATIVES SURROUINDING AI- DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This thesis examines how large tech companies and media outlets construct competing narratives around artificial intelligence (AI) development, revealing a discursive struggle that shapes global perceptions of innovation, governance, and legitimacy. Using framing theory, socio-technical imaginaries, and strategic narrative theory, the study conducts a qualitative analysis of corporate and media discourse from 2023 to 2025, comparing U.S.-based firms like OpenAI and Microsoft with international challengers such as Mistral AI and DeepSeek. The analysis finds that U.S. are framed themselves as dominant innovators AI’s development, while increasingly responding to international competition. In contrast, narratives centred around international challengers portray alternative discourses focused on sovereignty, decentralization, and transparency. These conflicting narratives influence not only public discourse but also regulatory approaches, partnerships, and the broader trajectory of AI governance. The study concludes that AI development is not solely a technological race but also a strategic contest over meaning, in which narrative legitimacy becomes a form of power. Recognizing this discursive dimension is crucial to understanding how technological futures are shaped.