AI is not a Tool

the Impact of Growing AI Agency on the Future of Work

Abstract

Research Question (RQ): What are the underlying philosophical assumptions shaping current perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) as a mere tool, and how do these assumptions influence our understanding of AI’s growing agency and its potential impact on the future of work?

Purpose: The paper aims to critically examine the widespread assumption that AI systems remain passive instruments entirely under human control. It explores how emerging forms of AI agency—understood as autonomous or semi-autonomous decision-making capacities—challenge this notion and what implications this shift entails for human labour, ethics, and social stability.

Methods: The study adopts a philosophical and conceptual methodology grounded in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of science. It draws on classical thought experiments (Searle’s Chinese Room, Jackson’s Mary, Penrose’s arguments on non-algorithmic consciousness) and integrates recent interdisciplinary debates on AI agency, autonomy, and consciousness. The analysis is based on a critical literature review combining philosophical, technological, and socio-political sources.

Results: Findings indicate that the assumption of AI as a “dumb tool” no longer holds. Evidence of growing AI autonomy demonstrates that decision-making processes once reserved for humans are increasingly being delegated to machines. This outsourcing of human agency risks creating social and ethical blind spots, potentially leading to unequal labour transformations and governance challenges. However, a managed transition toward human–AI cooperation could foster innovation and inclusion if grounded in ethical oversight and policy regulation.

Organization: For organizations, the study highlights the need to anticipate shifts in work structures and decision-making processes caused by AI systems with growing agency. It encourages managers and policymakers to design governance frameworks that maintain human oversight while enabling responsible collaboration with AI.

Society: At the societal level, the research underlines the urgency of open policy debates and ethical reflection on AI regulation. Addressing the implications of AI autonomy is essential to preserve human agency, democratic accountability, and social justice in the digital era.

Originality: The article contributes to bridging philosophical inquiry and socio-technical analysis by reframing AI not merely as a technological tool but as an emerging actor in human decision-making systems. It advances the concept of “AI agency” as a key lens for understanding the transformation of work.

Limitations / Further research: The study is conceptual and does not include empirical data. Future research should investigate how organizations and workers experience AI agency in practice, possibly through ethnographic or organizational case studies, and explore policy instruments capable of mitigating risks related to automation and technocratic governance.