Acta Politologica (AcPo) is a peer-reviewed political science journal published by the Institute of Political Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. It is also an official journal of the Czech Political Science Association. The journal was established in 2009 and is published twice a year (in April and October). AcPo issues are posted online. AcPo publishes articles in both English and Czech. The journal accepts original scientific articles based on the author's own research, as well as review articles, reviews, and reports from conferences, among others. It is indexed and included in Scopus, ERIH PLUS, CEEOL, Google Scholar, and DOAJ.
Since the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022, generative artificial intelligence (AI) powered by large language models (LLMs) has become a critical topic of discussion. The race between tech companies to build “the best” model has brought new questions about the regulation, ethical use, and broader societal impacts of these models. Governments and supra-national political actors are now concerned with how to both regulate and harness AI technologies in ways that safeguard political systems and improve the well-being of their citizens.
Implications of AI technologies clearly extend beyond economic and technological sectors and strongly influence current political milieu. AI has many different impacts on politics. It influences the epistemological beliefs of citizens, either allowing others to easily spread disinformation, by recreating biases, or by models inherent tendency to confabulate. It is also used to create deep fakes, either of political personas or for striping women's bodies. AI developers are often connected to big tech companies that influence both politics and particular policies (often beyond the scope of technology policies). Understanding the underlying political ideologies of these actors is one of the crucial topics for the future development of AI governance. Furthermore, AI has an immense, often neglected, physical sphere, the data centers, the graphic processing units and other parts of AI infrastructure have to be built, their materials have to be mined and everything needs to be powered by electricity and cooled down with water. How this infrastructure is being built and under what conditions is also primarily a question of politics.
In light of this rapidly evolving landscape, Acta Politologica (ACPO) - an international journal covering a wide spectrum of political science topics, including comparative politics, political sociology, and security studies - invites authors to submit abstracts for a Special Issue dedicated to the political milieu and political consequences of generative AI. This issue aims to explore a range of research perspectives, from the regulatory challenges posed by AI to its potential to transform governance, public trust, political polarization, and global power dynamics.
Potential topics for abstracts include, but are not limited to:
The role of AI in shaping political participation and engagement
AI regulation and governance: national and international perspectives
Generative AI’s impact on political trust and legitimacy of democratic institutions
AI as a driver of new political cleavages or polarization
The relationship between AI and radical right-wing politics
Physicality of AI and the politics that influence it
Ethical implications of AI in political decision-making and governance
The ethical considerations and impact of AI in political advertising and campaign strategies
Comparison of AI approaches in different countries and lessons learned
For this Special Issue, Tomáš Čech (Charles University) will serve as Guest Editor at ACPO. The journal accepts empirical case studies, comparative analyses, and theory-focused manuscripts. Authors are encouraged to submit abstract proposals that bring fresh empirical evidence or theoretical contributions to deepen our understanding of AI’s political milieu and its consequences. Submissions can draw from interdisciplinary perspectives, including political science, law, ethics, technology studies and others.
If you are interested in contributing to this Special Issue, please submit an abstract of your intended article (250–500 words) to the editors at no later than 15th June, 2025. Manuscripts should be in English. If your abstract is accepted, you will be invited to submit your full manuscript by 31st October 2025. All submitted manuscripts will undergo a standard double-blind peer review process. Manuscripts accepted for publication will be proofread by a native speaker free of charge. The Special Issue is expected to be published in April 2026.
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