Artificial intelligence as digital agency
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Over the last few years, the European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS) has gone through substantial changes (Ågerfalk, 2018). What, then, could be more appropriate than to set 2020 off on the ...
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Ågerfalk et al. conceptualized AI as 'a digital agency' capable of autonomous action (control) on behalf of humans (agency) and used context, communication and practice as key factors for analyzing this dynamic.
“Specifically, Ågerfalk et al. [3] conceptualized AI as 'a digital agency' capable of autonomous action (control) on behalf of humans (agency) and used context, communication and practice as key factors for analyzing this dynamic.”
From Exploring Collaboration Patterns and Strategies in Human-AI Co-creation through the Lens of Agency: A Scoping Review of the Top-tier HCI Literature (2025) · cites this paper as [3]
This differentiation is crucial when interacting with AI partners capable of autonomous action, where high-level user intent (agency) must interface with low-level system manipulation (control).
“This differentiation is crucial when interacting with AI partners capable of autonomous action [3], where high-level user intent (agency) must interface with low-level system manipulation (control) [186].”
From Exploring Collaboration Patterns and Strategies in Human-AI Co-creation through the Lens of Agency: A Scoping Review of the Top-tier HCI Literature (2025) · cites this paper as [3]
AI's evolution from functional tool to autonomous, proactive partner challenges human-centric assumptions about creativity and requires new collaboration theories beyond mixed-initiative.
“Theoretically, AI's evolution from functional tool [156] to autonomous, proactive partner [3, 162, 172] challenges human-centric assumptions about creativity and requires new collaboration theories beyond mixed-initiative [71], potentially involving co-agency or emergent interaction structures [68, 194].”
From Exploring Collaboration Patterns and Strategies in Human-AI Co-creation through the Lens of Agency: A Scoping Review of the Top-tier HCI Literature (2025) · cites this paper as [3]
Skewed data during labeling and training can potentially result in biased AI applications.
“skewed data during labeling and training can potentially result in biased AI applications [45].”
The literature argues that by automating repetitive processes or replacing humans in tasks that do not require creativity, human capital can be used in tasks that make use of their creativity and innovation capacities.
“The literature on the value of AI has argued that by automating repetitive processes, or by replacing humans in tasks that do not require creativity, complexity, and dealing with new and unfamiliar situations, human capital can be used in tasks that make use of their creativity and innovation capacities [45].”
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“Despite this importance, a systematic synthesis mapping agency configurations and control mechanisms within the HCI/CSCW literature is lacking.”
Influential
- Authors
- Ågerfalk, P. J.
- Affiliations
- Uppsala University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Ågerfalk, Pär J.
- ORCID
- Ågerfalk, Pär J.
- Venue
- European Journal of Information Systems
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2020-01-02
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-8
- ISSN
- 0960-085X (ISSN-L)
- 1476-9344
- OpenAlex
- W3009022437
- Semantic Scholar
- efb62c2a173bf414e65ee989aabb47f16f6a61d7
- Cited by
- 217
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 37 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 11
- FWCI
- 32.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- European Journal of Information Systems (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Information Systems Theories and Implementation
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Artificial Intelligence Applications
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
- Keywords
- artificial intelligence, digital agency, agency theory, information systems research
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