AI Shifting the Dynamics of Agency
Oskar Korkman, Founder, Alice Labs and Erik St. Grey, UX Research Manager, Nissan
Overview
How does Agentic AI challenge our assumptions about agency, how people navigate their agency, and how we design for it?
Agency or autonomy are often considered an entity that a person (or machine) can ‘have’ and others can control or manipulate, but this narrow view of autonomy is insufficient for examining our myriad relations to algorithmic systems, as Savolainen & Ruckenstein describe (below). Agentic AI can make decisions, take actions, and even learn on its own in order to achieve specific goals, adapting to changing circumstances without needing constant direction. This moves beyond traditional ideas of AI as mere tools or collaborative partners.
Ethnographers are uniquely positioned to analyze how people navigate and negotiate their agency in relation to AI-driven technologies, as well as the business, engineering, design, and semiotic spaces of agentic AI development. By studying everyday interactions, they uncover the subtle strategies individuals use to maintain agency in an increasingly automated world.
Key References for this Salon
- Savolainen, Laura & Minna Ruckenstein. “Dimensions of Autonomy in Human-Algorithm Relations.” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14614448221100802
- anderson, ken et al. “Displacing the Mind to the Body: Agency in a World of Cameras and Recognition Systems.” https://www.epicpeople.org/ai-among-us-agency-cameras-recognition-systems/
What Is a Salon?
In Salons, we gather in smaller groups to build collective intelligence about pressing or emerging topics. Hosts set the stage with key points and provocations, then participants drive the discussion, sharing diverse expertise and experiences. We come away with deeper understanding, new strategies and tactics for our work, and a wonderful network of thought partners.