Whitepapers
This whitepaper series explores the hidden intersections of AI, identity, gender, and power. Each paper interrogates a specific facet of our digital present, how technology encodes social norms, performs agency, and reshapes what it means to be human.
These are not just academic reflections; they are provocations. Designed for researchers, practitioners, and curious minds alike, they form the foundation of my book-in-progress and serve as the intellectual scaffolding for my broader public work.
Think of them as early dispatches from the frontlines of a glitching world.
The Illusion of Agency:
Why AI Isn’t Just a Tool, But Also Not Yet a Being
Abstract
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked intense debate about whether AI systems possess agency in any genuine sense. This paper argues that framing AI as either a soulless tool or an autonomous being is a false binary. We suggest that AI's apparent "agency" is largely an illusion arising from human cognitive biases (such as anthropomorphism) and the sophisticated goal-directed behaviors of AI, yet this illusion is co-constructed within socio-technical systems rather than emanating from any intrinsic consciousness in the machine. We define key concepts (agency, intentionality, consciousness) and show how humans readily attribute intentional agency to machines as if they were animate, even though AI lacks independent will or awareness. We then examine prevailing metaphors of AI (as tool, being, or mirror) and highlight their inadequacies. Instead, we propose a co-agency perspective: human and AI actors participate in distributed, hybrid agency where outcomes emerge from their interactions. This view has far-reaching implications-from responsibility and accountability in human-AI collaborations to the reinforcement of gender biases by feminized AI assistants and the misguided notion of granting AI legal personhood. Throughout, we integrate philosophical analysis with current research to ensure conceptual clarity and academic rigor. We conclude that reimagining agency in the age of AI-beyond illusory anthropomorphism and simplistic binaries-is essential for ethical governance and deeper understanding of human-AI symbiosis.
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