The role of digital literacy in maintaining autonomy in AI decision-support: balancing the burdens
The role of digital literacy in maintaining autonomy in AI decision-support: balancing the burdens
Integrating AI systems into workflows risks undermining the competence of the people supported by them, specifically due to a loss of meta-cognitive competence. We discuss a recent suggestion to mitigate this through better uncertainty quantification. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, there is a question whether users are sufficiently supported to engage in critical reflection with literacy and tools alone. We therefore suggest that socio-technical system design focused on the role of AI systems is crucial to preserving autonomy, even when supported by uncertainty quantification.
AI ethics, Autonomy, Socio-technical systems, Uncertainty quantification
Buijsman, Stefan
cd3d3146-5e88-4aa1-9edd-f23267543758
Carter, Sarah E.
60141f52-3ea1-45ac-8926-7730f03ec21a
Bermúdez, Juan Pablo
39d9048a-d5e0-486c-b1bd-e5c6312c4969
6 October 2025
Buijsman, Stefan
cd3d3146-5e88-4aa1-9edd-f23267543758
Carter, Sarah E.
60141f52-3ea1-45ac-8926-7730f03ec21a
Bermúdez, Juan Pablo
39d9048a-d5e0-486c-b1bd-e5c6312c4969
Buijsman, Stefan, Carter, Sarah E. and Bermúdez, Juan Pablo
(2025)
The role of digital literacy in maintaining autonomy in AI decision-support: balancing the burdens.
Philosophy and Technology, 38 (4), [136].
(doi:10.1007/s13347-025-00963-9).
Abstract
Integrating AI systems into workflows risks undermining the competence of the people supported by them, specifically due to a loss of meta-cognitive competence. We discuss a recent suggestion to mitigate this through better uncertainty quantification. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, there is a question whether users are sufficiently supported to engage in critical reflection with literacy and tools alone. We therefore suggest that socio-technical system design focused on the role of AI systems is crucial to preserving autonomy, even when supported by uncertainty quantification.
Text
s13347-025-00963-9
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 18 August 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 6 October 2025
Published date: 6 October 2025
Keywords:
AI ethics, Autonomy, Socio-technical systems, Uncertainty quantification
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506949
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506949
ISSN: 2210-5433
PURE UUID: 23b1f154-0ce1-4088-aa57-e18a17edfafe
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 21 Nov 2025 18:13
Last modified: 22 Nov 2025 03:14
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Stefan Buijsman
Author:
Sarah E. Carter
Author:
Juan Pablo Bermúdez
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics