Algorithmic embodiment and the posthuman condition: Reframing human autonomy in N. Katherine Hayles’ media culture theory

Abstract

The essay at hand provides a thorough critique of N. Katherine Hayles’ theory of Posthuman Media Culture, and thus, by its implication, also that of communication and cultural studies in the present time. Hayles in this context first of all points out and then contradicts the opposing categories of humans, machines, and media altogether. Media technologies like AI and algorithms are no longer regarded as mere tools, but rather as active partners in the process of human identity, cognition, and culture formation. Her analysis centers on the phenomenon of embodied cognition – the intermingling of mind, body and technology – as a major framework through which to view the interactions of media and AI with human actions and comprehension. The essay lays out the ‘Embodied Bias Loop’ model, which shows how user behaviors, such as liking or swiping on Instagram and TikTok, reinforce algorithmic bias and contribute to identity formation. It brings into the open and discusses critically the ways in which algorithms intervene in the areas of communication and social norms, with the result of influencing, among other things, the autonomy, bias, and fairness of the participants. At the end of the essay, there is a strong passion for the establishment of more ethical, inclusive, and responsible media systems that will not only be able to recognize the co-constitutive nature of technology in constructing individual and collective realities but will also be able to claim such a role.