Reexamining Human Autonomy and Human-Machine Communication in the Age of AI from Niklas Luhmann's Perspective
There are two sharply contrasting views on this issue. Some argue that advancements in AI and big data have provided humanity with new tools that enhance human capabilities. These advancements allow humans to reach a kind of "superhuman" state, in areas such as information processing, decision-making, and physical abilities, thereby boosting human autonomy.
Others take a more cautious view, suggesting that as AI systems become more integrated into daily life—especially in critical areas such as automated decision-making, medical diagnosis, and financial operations—the increasing frequency and depth of human-machine interactions may negatively affect human decision-making and autonomy.
These two views seem to be diametrically opposed. However, both perspectives share an underlying assumption—that humans are fundamentally autonomous beings. One side believes that technology enhances autonomy, while the other believes that technological intervention diminishes it.
From Niklas Luhmann's de-subjectified and post-humanist perspective, this assumption itself needs to be re-examined. Luhmann argues that the concept of the "autonomous individual" is not an essential characteristic of human existence, but rather a social form or social construct. If we accept Luhmann's view, it becomes necessary to rethink the processes of human-machine communication in the AI age, particularly when humans are engaging with machines that possess vast cultural databases and perform highly complex computations. Rather than being fixated on the fear of losing autonomy, we should focus on a more fundamental question: how does human autonomy emerge and manifest through these interactions?
My conclusion is that in the age of AI, the social form of humans as autonomous individuals, precisely in the context where it is questioned, should receive unprecedented emphasis and attention.