Beyond Algorethics: Addressing the Ethical and Anthropological Challenges of AI Recommender Systems

Fuente: arXiv
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Autore principale: Machidon, Octavian M.
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Machidon, Octavian M.
author_facet Machidon, Octavian M.
contents This paper examines the ethical and anthropological challenges posed by AI-driven recommender systems (RSs), which increasingly shape digital environments and social interactions. By curating personalized content, RSs do not merely reflect user preferences but actively construct experiences across social media, entertainment platforms, and e-commerce. Their influence raises concerns over privacy, autonomy, and mental well-being, while existing approaches such as "algorethics" - the effort to embed ethical principles into algorithmic design - remain insufficient. RSs inherently reduce human complexity to quantifiable profiles, exploit user vulnerabilities, and prioritize engagement over well-being. The paper advances a three-dimensional framework for human-centered RSs, integrating policies and regulation, interdisciplinary research, and education. These strategies are mutually reinforcing: research provides evidence for policy, policy enables safeguards and standards, and education equips users to engage critically. By connecting ethical reflection with governance and digital literacy, the paper argues that RSs can be reoriented to enhance autonomy and dignity rather than undermine them.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_16430
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Beyond Algorethics: Addressing the Ethical and Anthropological Challenges of AI Recommender Systems
Machidon, Octavian M.
Computers and Society
Artificial Intelligence
This paper examines the ethical and anthropological challenges posed by AI-driven recommender systems (RSs), which increasingly shape digital environments and social interactions. By curating personalized content, RSs do not merely reflect user preferences but actively construct experiences across social media, entertainment platforms, and e-commerce. Their influence raises concerns over privacy, autonomy, and mental well-being, while existing approaches such as "algorethics" - the effort to embed ethical principles into algorithmic design - remain insufficient. RSs inherently reduce human complexity to quantifiable profiles, exploit user vulnerabilities, and prioritize engagement over well-being. The paper advances a three-dimensional framework for human-centered RSs, integrating policies and regulation, interdisciplinary research, and education. These strategies are mutually reinforcing: research provides evidence for policy, policy enables safeguards and standards, and education equips users to engage critically. By connecting ethical reflection with governance and digital literacy, the paper argues that RSs can be reoriented to enhance autonomy and dignity rather than undermine them.
title Beyond Algorethics: Addressing the Ethical and Anthropological Challenges of AI Recommender Systems
topic Computers and Society
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.16430