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Cited by 63Ethics and Social Impacts of AICybernetics and Technology in SocietyDigital Media and Philosophy

The algorithmic self: how AI is reshaping human identity, introspection, and agency

Open access
Joseph, Jeena·2025·Frontiers in Psychology
DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1645795PMC PMC12289686
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Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a mysterious technological presence hiding behind screens; it is intertwined with the most intimate dimensions of who we are. From playlists on Spotify to language model-generated replies, personalized news feeds, to self-tracking well-being apps, algorithms cocreate the way we know ourselves and belong in the world today. In spite of the worldwide love for AI for its revolutionary utility in various sectors, it is necessary to examine how it exerts a subtler, but no less impactful, psychological impact on personal self, self-awareness, and agency (Banja, 2020;Namestiuk, 2023). This article examines the idea of the "Algorithmic Self"-something that indexes how AI's interpretive feed starts mediating self-knowledge, not merely shaping what we do, but also who we become and the narratives we narrate to ourselves.The "Algorithmic Self" refers to a form of digitally mediated identity in which personal awareness, preferences, and even emotional patterns are shaped through continuous feedback from AI systems (Turtle et al., 2024). It is not merely a self-reflected in technology but co-constructed by it-where algorithms do not passively reflect the self but actively participate in its formation (Masiero, 2023). This concept draws loosely on posthumanist and surveillance capitalism frameworks, which describe the self as increasingly entangled with and constructed by digital infrastructures (Bartley, 2019;Leander and Burriss, 2020). In this view, the self is no longer autonomous and inwardly derived, but assembled across interfaces, platforms, and predictive logics.The more time we spend in a world where algorithms dictate so much of what and how we know, the more necessary it is that we explore how AI reconfigures not just what we're doing, but who we're doing it as (Jinchang Wang, 2023;Fesce, 2024). The "Algorithmic Self" is the place where human consciousness encounters machine feedback-a frontier that is both emancipating and limiting (Canbul Yaroğlu, 2024). This article is intended to shed light on how algorithms construct identity, and a critical exploration into the psychology and morals in a world fast becoming driven by AI narratives. This exploration unfolds through a series of interconnected lenses, each illuminating how artificial intelligence mediates different aspects of selfhood in the digital age. Though each theme addresses a distinct psychological or existential concern, they collectively depict a broader transformation-one where the boundaries between human introspection and algorithmic feedback blur. Rather than presenting isolated observations, this article seeks to build a layered understanding of how AI coproduces identity, emotion, and agency.In the past, the evolution of human identity has occurred in conjunction with society, family dynamics, cultural narratives, and introspective self-reflection. Identity was determined by how we engaged with others, cultural practices, and even periods of solitude and self-reflection. In the digital era, however, identity is being determined through engagement with algorithmic systems (Lee, 2025). Recommendation algorithms, predictive language models, and behavior-monitoring AI capabilities now not only present us with what we might consume but with how we ought to feel, how we ought to think, and even how we ought to self-categorize (Ferrara, 2024). The formerly passive digital screen is today a participant in shaping the self (Brubaker, 2020).The "Spotify Wrapped" trend is a prime example: fans eagerly anticipate the algorithmic summaries of what they listened to in the previous year-as if Spotify knows them better than they know themselves (Annabell and Rasmussen, 2024). In the same manner, mood-tracking apps forecast when a user is likely to be anxious, and smartwatches prompt wearers toward "improvements" in behavior based on biomarker data. These apps and numerous others not only serve to mirror the behavior of the user but also to define, shape, and control the user's sense of self over time (Schueller et al., 2021).A particularly illustrative case of algorithmic identity shaping is Spotify Wrapped, an annual "algorithmic event" that repackages users' listening behavior into curated data stories (Annabell and Rasmussen, 2024). Presented in a format resembling social media stories, these summaries are widely shared, often perceived not just as records of behavior but as reflections of personal identity. In a creative workshop study, Annabell and Rasmussen found that users often critically engaged with these algorithmic representations-sometimes feeling seen, other times unsettled-yet many accepted the summaries as accurate or insightful accounts of who they are. This illustrates how commercial platforms use data not only to serve users but to define them. Brubaker extends this view by arguing that hyperconnected digital infrastructures don't just reflect the self but participate in governing it-by framing ho

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  • The emergence of large language models capable of simulating empathic understanding marks a qualitative shift in human-technology relations, transforming the digital screen from passive mirror to active mold participating in the formation of the selves it purports to reflect.

    “The emergence of large language models capable of simulating empathic understanding marks a qualitative shift in human-technology relations, transforming the digital screen from passive mirror to active mold participating in the formation of the selves it purports to reflect [2].”

    From Encountering Generative AI: Narrative Self-Formation and Technologies of the Self Among Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [2]

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Authors
Joseph, J.
Venue
Frontiers in Psychology
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2025-07-11
Volume
16
Pages
1645795-1645795
ISSN
1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1645795
PMC
PMC12289686
OpenAlex
W4412185104
Cited by
63
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 61 · 2025: 2
FWCI
65.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Cybernetics and Technology in Society
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Digital Media and Philosophy
Keywords
self-awareness, agency, self-reflection, self-tracking, surveillance capitalism, posthumanism, algorithmic feedback, content personalization, human-AI relationship, digital identity, self-narrative, AI ethics, human-AI collaboration, human-AI co-creation, human-AI coexistence, human-AI co-evolution

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