From passive to active human agency in artificial intelligence mediation

Recently, scholars across disciplines raised questions and concerns about the notion of human intervention [1], control, and oversight over AI systems [2]. This observation becomes particularly important in the age of ubiquitous computing and the increasing adoption of AI in everyday technological infrastructure. This paper proposes a conceptual interpretation and future research agenda for the concept of human agency in times of ubiquitous AI. Building on Nicholas Garnham’s theoretical framework in 2000 [3], this paper explains the concept of mediation through human agents, technological tools and systems of symbolic representation. As AI-enabled mediation becomes ever more prominent in different sectors, this paper reconsiders Garnham’s mediation framework and the role of human agents in 2020, twenty years ahead. This paper proposes distinguishing between passive and active human agency and calls for theoretical and empirical research on individual AI redress. Ultimately, this paper argues to empower active human agency in times of ubiquitous AI.