An Analysis of Actor-Network Theory and Its Implications for the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Education

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

PhD Candidate of Curriculum Planning, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the implications of Bruno Latour’s Actor-Network Theory (ANT) regarding the integration of artificial intelligence into educational processes. The research employs a qualitative “theoretical essay” methodology, utilizing “document analysis” as the primary tool for data collection. the research data were mainly gathered through primary texts of Actor–Network Theory and secondary texts. Theoretical foundations and relevant literature on Actor-Network Theory were analyzed through a reflective and interpretive approach from an ANT perspective. Findings reveal that agency is no longer exclusive to humans but is distributed across unstable, multi-centered networks; meaning is not transmitted by teachers but is continuously co-constructed through interactions among human and non-human actors; and ethical responsibility no longer rests on any single individual, but is embedded within and interrogated by the opaque structures of algorithmic black boxes. In this context, humanity in education can no longer be defined in opposition to machines, but rather emerges through capacities of negotiation, interpretation, and regulation within technologically mediated networks. In conclusion, this article argues that the future of education lies not in resisting technology, but in consciously redefining the human role not as the sole possessor of agency, but as the network’s regulator, interpreter of meaning, and architect of humanistic values amidst interactions with non-human elements. This perspective necessitates the design of interpretable AI systems, the cultivation of critical algorithmic literacy, and the establishment of multi-stakeholder ethical oversight mechanisms.

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References

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 19, Issue 53 - Serial Number 53
Articles
Issue 53, Winter 2026
December 2025
Pages 479-498

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