Beyond Algorithms: Social Representations and the Public Understanding of AI explores how artificial intelligence is understood, debated, and socially constructed across different social, cultural, and institutional contexts. Drawing on Social Representations Theory and complementary perspectives, the volume examines the meanings, hopes, fears, and controversies associated with AI in domains such as education, health, work, ethics, communication, and public policy. By bringing together contributions from an international group of scholars, the book highlights how public understandings of AI shape social practices which, in turn, are shaped by broader social, political, and cultural transformations.