Heshan Sun : Are We in the “AI Cage”? Understanding How Algorithmic Control Shapes the Autonomy and Recognition of Social Media Content Creators

The growing use of algorithmic control in digital platforms raises important questions about how creators experience participation when key decisions are delegated to AI. Drawing on CARE theory and research on algorithmic control, we develop a model explaining how algorithmic control shapes social media content creators’ experiences of autonomy and recognition. Using an online experiment (N = 260) conducted on a custom social media platform, we find that algorithmic control increases both autonomy constraints and recognition deficits. We further show that perceived AI over-delegation amplifies autonomy constraints, while perceived AI diagnosticity mitigates both effects. These findings highlight the broader human consequences of algorithmic governance and offer implications for research and platform design. Heshan Sun, Ph.D., is the Richard Van Horn Professor of IT and Analytics in the Management Information Systems Division at the Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma, where he also serves as coordinator of the division’s Ph.D. program. His research examines how information technology profoundly influences and interacts with individuals, organizations, and society. Specifically, his interests include human–technology/AI interaction, business analytics, and online crowd behavior. His published and forthcoming work has appeared in leading academic journals such as MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, and Journal of the Association for Information Systems, among others. Dr. Sun is a Senior Editor at MIS Quarterly, Journal of the Association for Information Systems, and AIS Transactions on HCI.