AI Is Not an Agent - AI Is a Tool

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Abstract

In a recent interview on The Daily Show, Yuval Harari claimed: ‘The most important thing to understand about AI is that AI is not a tool, it is an agent. It is the first technology in history that can make decisions and invent new ideas by itself…We have created something that can potentially take power away from us.’
This statement reflects an erroneous but increasingly dominant way of thinking about AI.
Broadly, three competing framings of AI have emerged in public and academic discourse: AI as a Competitor, AI as a Collaborator, and AI as a Tool. Each suggests a different view of agency, and each holds significant implications for how we design, govern, and live with AI.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date6 Aug 2025
Place of PublicationWWW
PublisherOxford University
Publication statusPublished - 6 Aug 2025

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