Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Human Autonomy: an analysis of free will and moral responsibility in data-driven decision-making

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Philosophy of Science, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Philosophy of Science, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in daily life has raised fundamental questions regarding the boundaries of human autonomy and the meaning of free will. This paper demonstrates that intelligent systems, by imperceptibly shaping preferences and rearranging the horizon of choice, transform and redefine the form and scope of the experience of human autonomy. Employing an analytical-critical approach and utilizing the framework of AI ethics, this study examines three key axes: (1) the relationship between algorithmic prediction and the conditions for the possibility of human choice; (2) the ethical consequences and the redefinition of responsibility distribution in algorithmically guided environments; and (3) the necessity of developing responsible design principles and regulatory frameworks to preserve human decision-making independence. The theoretical contribution of the paper lies in utilizing a network approach to agency and responsibility, which facilitates a more precise analysis of the "responsibility gap" and a redefinition of the roles of humans and machines in complex decision-making processes. The results indicate that human autonomy undergoes a structural transformation in the age of AI; humans remain responsible, yet significant segments of the decision-making chain—from data collection to algorithmic recommendation—lie outside their direct control.

Graphical Abstract

Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Human Autonomy: an analysis of free will and moral responsibility in data-driven decision-making

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Alasti, K. (2024). Artificial Intelligence and Meaningful Human Control: Agent-Neutral-Reason-Responsive Mechanisms and the Possibility of Tracing Responsible Agent(s), Journal of Philosophical Theological Research (JPTR), 26(4), 27-54. (in Persian) https://www.doi.org/10.22091/jptr.2025.11378.3139
Albareda, J. L. (2025). Uncovering the gap: challenging the agential nature of AI responsibility problems. AI and Ethics. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-025-00685-w
Ashouri Kisomi, M. A., & Parvizi, M. (2024). Investigation of the ethical agency of AGI. Science and Religion Studies, 15(1), 125-151. (in Persian) https://www.doi.org/10.30465/srs.2024.49282.2162 
Battisti, D. (2025). Second-Person Authenticity and the Mediating Role of AI: A Moral Challenge for Human-to-Human Relationships? Philosophy & Technology.
Bertoncini, A. L. C., & Serafim, M. C. (2023). Ethical content in artificial intelligence systems: A demand explained in three critical points. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1074787. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1074787
Bolboli Qadikolaei, S. & Parasnath, H. (2023). A systematic review of the ethical implications of using artificial intelligence in digital technologies and its relationship with the ethics of flourishing. Socio-Cultural Strategy, 12(3), 771-798. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/scs.2022.160772
Callon, M. (1986). Some elements of a sociology of translation: Domestication of the scallops and the fishermen of St Brieuc Bay. In J. Law (Ed.), Power, Action and Belief: A New Sociology of Knowledge (196–223). London: Routledge.
Chen, A., Wang, C., & Zhang, X. (2023). Reflection on the equitable attribution of responsibility for artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and treatment decisions. Intelligent Medicine, 3(02), 139-143.
Chesterman, S. (2020). Artificial intelligence and the problem of autonomy. Notre Dame Journal on Emerging Technologies, 1, 210–250.
Choi, D. Y. (2023). The trustworthiness of AI: Comments on Simion and Kelp’s account. Asian Journal of Philosophy, 2(1), 1–9.
Constantinescu, M., Vică, C., Uszkai, R., & Voinea, C. (2022). Blame it on the AI? On the moral responsibility of Artificial Moral Advisors. Philosophy & Technology, 35 (1), 1-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-022-00529-z
Constantinescu, M., Voinea, C., Uszkai, R., & Vică, C. (2021). Understanding responsibility in Responsible AI. Dianoetic virtues and the hard problem of context. Ethics and Information Technology, 23(4), 803-814.
Cummings, M. (2012), Automation Bias in Intelligent Time Critical Decision Support Systems, AIAA 1st Intelligent Systems Technical Conference, Session: IS-15: Human Interaction with Intelligent Systems.
Dubber, M. D., Pasquale, F., & Das, S. (Eds.). (2020). The Oxford handbook of ethics of AI. Oxford University Press.
Ghavamipour Sereshkeh, M. & Mahmooudi, A. (2024). Analyzing the emergence of artificial intelligence and its effects on society and religion. Science and Religion Studies, 15(1), 213-244. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.30465/srs.2024.48601.2135
Gogoshin, D. L. (2021). Robot responsibility and moral community. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 8, https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2021.768092
Gogoshin, D. L. (2023). A challenge for the scaffolding view of responsibility. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 26(1), 73-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-022-10340-6
Gogoshin, D. L. (2024). Patient preferences concerning humanoid features in healthcare robots. Science and Engineering Ethics, 30(6),48-62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-024-00508-x
Gogoshin, D. L. (2025). A way forward for responsibility in the age of AI. Inquiry, 68(4), 1164-1197. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020174X.2025.2198690
Hagendorff, T. (2020). The Ethics of AI Ethics: An Evaluation of Guidelines. Minds and Machines, 30(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-020-09517-8
Harris, S. (2010). The Moral Landscape. New York: Free Press.
Harris, S. (2012). Free Will, New York: Free Press
Hoseini Souraki, S. M. (2024). The Meaning and Criteria of Moral Agency in Intelligent Machines. Journal of Philosophical Theological Research. (Philosophy of Ethics and Technology: challenges and prospects special Issue), 26(4), 83-108. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22091/jptr.2025.12466.3256
Kant, I. (1972). The Moral Law: Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals (H. J. Paton, Trans.). London: Hutchinson University Library.

Khazaie, Z. (2019). Agency and Virtues, Journal of Philosophical Theological Research (JPTR), 21(81), 119-140. https://doi.org/10.22091/jptr.2019.4673.2190

Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Libet, B. (1985). Unconscious cerebral initiative and the role of conscious will in voluntary action. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 8(4), 529 – 539. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00044903
Libet, B. (2004a). Intention to act: Do we have free will? In Mind time: The temporal factor in consciousness (pp. 123-156). Harvard University Press.
Libet, B. (2004b), Mind time, MA: Harvard University Press.
Lu, W. (2022). Inevitable challenges of autonomy: Ethical concerns in personalized algorithmic decision-making. AI & Society, 37 (3), 1203-1215. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01330-w
Ma, W., & Valton, V. (2024). Toward an Ethics of AI Belief. Philosophy and Technology, 37(76), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-024-00762-8
Miri Balajorshari, S. M., & Mahmoudi, A. (2024). Analysis of ethical challenges in the field of artificial intelligence with an approach to Islamic ethics. Journal of Applied Ethics Studies, 14(2), 97-123. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22081/jare.2024.68803.1901
Mohammadi, Sh. & Moghadam Heidari, Gh. (2012), Reconstruction and Investigation of Metaphysical Categories of Bruno Latour's Actor Network Theory, Mind Quarterly, 13 (52), 139-172. (in Persian)
Nyrup, R. (2023). Trustworthy AI: a plea for modest anthropocentrism. Asian Journal of Philosophy, 2(2), 1–10.
Russo, F., Schliesser, E., & Wagemans, J. (forthcoming). Connecting ethics and epistemology of AI. AI and Society, 1–19.
Tollon, F. (2022). Is AI a Problem for Forward Looking Moral Responsibility? The Problem Followed by a Solution. In Communications in Computer and Information Science. pp. 307–318. Cham.
Vallor, S. (2016). New social media and the technomoral virtues. In Technology and the virtues: A philosophical guide to a future worth wanting (pp. 159-187). Oxford University Press.
Vold, K., & Hernandez-Orallo, J. (2022). AI Extenders and the Ethics of Mental Health. In M. Ienca & F. Jotterand (Eds.), Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Brain and Mental Health.
Wang, B. (2024). Ethical reflections on the application of artificial intelligence in the construction of smart cities. Journal of Engineering, Vol. 2024, 8207822. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/8207822
Yeo, l. (2025). Autonomy and the question of free will in the age of artificial intelligence. American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 11 (1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.21694/2378-7031.25001.
Zargar, Z. (2025). On the Relation of Emotion and Moral Capacity in Artificial Intelligence Technologies. Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 19(50), 19-40. (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/jpiut.2024.63626.3875
Send comment about this article
CAPTCHA Image
Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 20, Issue 55 - Serial Number 55
Articles
Issue 55, Summer 2026
July 2026
Pages 267-286

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics