Cooperation and Artificial Intelligence: A Critical Review across Governance, Ethics, and Democracy = Cooperazione e Intelligenza Artificiale: una revisione critica tra Governance, Etica e Democrazia

This paper offers a scoping review of how cooperation and artificial intelligence (AI) intersect, examining the ways coop­erative principles can inform the design, governance, and ethical development of intelligent technologies. Drawing on a systematic analysis of 70 academic contributions published between 2016 and 2025, the study identifies four main research areas: Cooperative AI and social dilemmas, cooperative governance of AI, Artificial Intelligence for Ethical Cooperation (AI4EC), and Democratic AI. The findings highlight that cooperation provides a transversal framework – technical, political, and educational – capable of promoting more inclusive, participatory, and ethically grounded approaches to digital trans­formation. In this perspective, education is not limited to formal instructional settings but extends to processes of collective learning, capacity­building, and socio­technical awareness involving citizens, educators, and organizations. By mapping research gaps and emerging trends, the article argues that placing cooperation at the heart of AI development means reaffirming the collective role of these actors in shaping technologies that serve democratic and social well­being.