Daria Arkhipova defended her doctoral thesis "How Artificial Intelligence Recommendation Systems Impact Human Decision-Making"

On October 3, Daria Arkhipova defended her doctoral thesis "How Artificial Intelligence Recommendation Systems Impact Human Decision-Making" in semiotics and culture studies with cum laude at the joint committee of the University of Tartu and the University of Turin.

Supervisors: 
Professor Kalevi Kull, University of Tartu
Professor Emeritus and Visiting Professor Talis Bachmann, University of Tartu 
Professor Massimo Leone, University of Turin (Italy)

Opponents 
Professor Kristian Bankov, New Bulgarian University (Bulgaria)
Professor Marijn Janssen, Delft University of Technology (Netherlands)

Summary

This research delves into how Artificial Intelligence Recommender Systems (AIRS), commonly used in digital platforms like social media, influence our decisions and behaviors. By applying semiotic theories, which study the process of communication, this research examines how daily interactions with AI can shape our thinking and actions across cognitive, emotional and social dimensions. The investigation reveals that AIRS, through their algorithmic designs aligned with digital platforms' structures, subtly guide our choices by adapting or even imposing selected preferences to our decisions, behaviors and practices. AIRS have potential to not only affect how individuals make decisions but also shape social and cultural practices. These theoretical presumptions find their confirmation in the fieldwork conducted in Italy, Estonia and the Netherlands. The research uncovers that AIRS influence can be common among different communities and within individuals of the same generations and is independent of digital literacy. Ultimately, the research advocates for the development of AI systems considering communication mechanisms uncovered through semiotic tools. This can help creating AI technologies with the focus on meaning-making process among human users instead of top-down algorithmic solutions. This is crucial for creating digital environments that support more meaningful and promote user-centered interactions.