The Matrix of AI Agency: On the Demarcation Problem in Social Theory
Abstract
Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) make the question of machine agency a pressing matter. Contrary to the idea that agency is the inherent quality of a system, we argue that agency should be seen as a social status, or more precisely, a socially granted license to issue actions that is acquired and monitored in social practices. From this perspective, we develop criteria for the theoretical demarcation of agents and nonagents to distinguish entities based on their attributed abilities and their relative power in social networks. We derive a matrix of different types of agents and show how this matrix can inform empirical studies on AI.
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Biographies
Fabian Anicker is a postdoc researcher in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Duesseldorf, Germany. His research interests include the sociology of AI, theory building and theorizing, and political sociology. Since 2022, he has conducted empirical studies on the use of AI and attitudes toward AI with his coauthors and published on the theoretical foundations of the sociology of AI.
Florian Golo Flaßhoff is a PhD candidate in the Department of Social Science at the University of Duesseldorf. He pursued studies in media and communication science and global mass communication at the University of Leipzig. Presently, he is engaged in the project “Opinion Monitor Artificial Intelligence.” His research interests encompass opinion research, social psychology, and artificial intelligence.
Frank Marcinkowski is a full professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Duesseldorf. His research interests include political communication, media sociology, and public opinion on science and technology. Within sociology, he has been recognized for his contributions to a systems theory of the media. He is currently working on cognitive and emotional responses to artificial intelligence.
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