Weaving AI into Society: The Co-Evolution of Artificial Intelligence and the social fabric of organizations

Before outlining the structure of the present dissertation, this section offers a narrative and discursive reflection on the path that led to this work, which represents the culmination of my Ph.D. journey. My interest in the study of technology emerged naturally in response to the widespread enthusiasm surrounding the advent of technologies commonly associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Smart contracts, blockchain technology, and cloud computing are just a few examples of the technologies (and buzzwords) that were dominating public debate at the time. Numerous best-sellers and essays talked about how these technologies were transforming industries and society. These narratives emphasized how technologies could enable coordinated action without trust, control without central authority, and enforce decisions without human intervention. These narratives were not purely theoretical; in my daily experience, I was already observing anecdotal evidence of how common aspects of everyday life, such as shopping, mobility, and even dating, had become increasingly dependent on digital technologies. From this perspective, technologies appeared to be continuously influencing behaviors and decisions, gradually taking over many defining aspects of human existence. It seemed to me that technology was reshaping the very experience of being human. However, the fascination and apprehension elicited by this perception were tempered by the sense that it represented only a partial view. At that time, my growing interest in the works of historians such as Thomas Hughes and Melvin Kranzberg convinced me that there was more to this story. In one of his works, Kranzberg recounts an anecdote in which, after a concert, a lady praised Fritz Kreisler's violin for its beautiful music. Kreisler, holding the instrument to his ear, replied, "I don't hear any music coming out" (Kranzberg, 1986, p. 558). Indeed, the experience of music is not merely the product of the violin itself but rather the result of the interaction between technology, humans, and various socio-cultural factors. These factors are also crucial in explaining why violins exist in their present form, as Kranzberg later noted: “Man is a constituent element of the technical process. Machines are made and used by human beings. Behind every machine, I see a face—indeed, many faces: the engineer, the worker, the businessman or businesswoman, and, sometimes, the general and admiral. Furthermore, the function of the technology is its use by human beings—and sometimes, alas, its abuse and misuse” (Kranzberg, 1986, p. 558). Acknowledging the “human dimension” of technology inevitably fostered my curiosity not only concerning how technology was reshaping the social fabric of society and organizational structures but also about how these elements, in turn, influenced technology. During my journey, these ideas were further developed through engagement with diverse research traditions that recognize the interdependent and co-evolving relationship between technology and social structures (e.g., Weick, 1990a; Kallinikos et al., 2013; Orlikowski and Scott, 2008; Leonardi, 2011). These perspectives have inevitably shaped the arguments presented in this work. As will be discussed in more detail, the materiality of technologies and social action are considered here as two sides of the same coin, continuously shaping one another in a dynamic equilibrium. The present dissertation represents an attempt to understand a part of this ever-changing flow and its implications, particularly in the specific case of AI technologies.