Beyond Accidents and Misuse: Decoding the Structural Risk Dynamics of Artificial Intelligence

The integration of AI across contemporary industries is not just a technological upgrade but a transformation with profound structural implications. This paper explores the concept of structural risks associated with the rapid integration of advanced AI systems across social, economic, and political systems. This framework challenges the conventional perspectives that primarily focus on direct AI threats such as accidents and misuse and suggests that these more proximate risks are interconnected and influenced by a larger sociotechnical system. By analyzing the interactions between technological advancements and social dynamics, this study isolates three primary categories of structural risk: antecedent structural causes, antecedent system causes, and deleterious feedback loops. We present a comprehensive framework to understand the causal chains that drive these risks, highlighting the interdependence between structural forces and the more proximate risks of misuse and system failures. The paper articulates how unchecked AI advancement can reshape power dynamics, trust, and incentive structures, leading to profound and often unpredictable shifts. We introduce a methodological research agenda for mapping, simulating, and gaming these dynamics aimed at preparing policymakers and national security officials for the challenges posed by next-generation AI technologies. The paper concludes with policy recommendations.