Beyond cyborgs

The cybork idea for the de-individuation of (artificial) intelligence and an emergence-oriented design

Bibliographic Data

ID20399013
AuthorsFederico Cabitza (0000-0002-4065-3415, Istituto Clinico Sant'Ambrogio), Chiara Natali (0000-0002-5171-5239, University of Milano-Bicocca, corresponding author), Francesco Varanini, David J Gunkel (0000-0002-9385-4536, Northern Illinois University), David Gunkel
Year2025
Volume40
Issue5
Pages3333-3348
Publication date2025-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAI & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0951-5666 • E-ISSN: 1435-5655
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s00146-025-02191-3
OpenAlexW4407053141
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited41

This article contributes to the philosophical inquiry of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by reframing the question “Where is the intelligence of Artificial Intelligence?” into “Where does AI intelligently operate?”. This rephrasing challenges our understanding of AI’s role in social practices and its integration into the human experience. Central to this discourse is the concept of the ‘ cybork ’ (a portmanteau of ‘cyborg’ and ‘work’), which symbolizes not just a physical entity but a dynamic system of actions and interactions within a socio-technical landscape: work accomplished with machines. In this framework, intelligence in AI lies not in any function of isolated systems, but rather in the situated context of their use within collective and meaningful practices that give technology its sense and direction. Conversely, technology both enables and shapes these practices to the extent that distinguishing between the two can seem unnecessary, or even detrimental, to the optimal design of and for work practices. The cybork embodies this integration and entanglement, transcending the traditional boundaries between individuals and collectives, entities and actions. It reveals the inseparability and co-dependence of humans and technology, where technological artifacts become extensions of human capabilities, embody collective human history and development, and serve as both products and participants in societal practices, fundamentally shaping our interaction with the world

Cognitive reframing · Cognitive science · Epistemology · Individuation · Situated · Sociology · Computer Science · Embodied and Extended Cognition · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI · Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations · Psychology · Social Psychology · Artificial Intelligence

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