Anthony Elliott’s concept of the “algorithmic self” refers to the ways in which contemporary digital technologies—especially AI, machine learning, big data, and predictive algorithms—shape and restructure human subjectivity. He argues that algorithms do not just influence behavior; they actively co-construct identities, emotions, and desires in ways that blur the boundaries between the human and the technological.
How Algorithms Determine the Self
1. Personalization & Predictive Analytics
• Algorithms track and analyze vast amounts of user data (search history, social media interactions, purchases, etc.) to predict behaviors, preferences, and emotions.
• They then reinforce or even preempt desires by tailoring content, ads, and recommendations, subtly shaping how individuals see themselves and their world.
2. Automation of Identity & Self-Optimization
• Social media and self-tracking technologies (like fitness apps, sleep monitors, and AI coaching tools) encourage individuals to think of themselves as quantifiable, optimizable entities.
• The self is no longer just an internal, reflective experience but becomes an external, data-driven construct, constantly monitored and adjusted.
3. Surveillance & Behavioral Modification
• AI-driven surveillance systems (both corporate and governmental) track individuals, nudging them toward algorithmically desirable behaviors (e.g., consumer habits, political affiliations, or productivity patterns).
• This fosters a disciplinary mechanism, where people modify their actions based on what they believe the algorithm “wants” from them.
4. Fragmentation & Fluidity of the Self
• Digital platforms encourage a multiplicity of selves—one’s Instagram persona, LinkedIn profile, gaming avatar, etc.—all shaped by different algorithmic logics.
• This leads to a decentralized, unstable self that is in constant negotiation with the digital environment.
Elliott’s Critique
Elliott warns that the algorithmic self risks eroding human agency, as people increasingly rely on machine-driven feedback loops to define their identities. He also critiques how the global tech elite (Big Tech, AI developers, data brokers) control these algorithmic infrastructures, often without transparency or ethical consideration.
Would you like to explore Elliott’s arguments in relation to psychoanalysis or posthumanism?
