{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7214123732","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100","title":"Beyond the Tool Paradigm: Artificial Agency, Moral Uncertainty, and the Ethics of Artificial Evolution","display_name":"Beyond the Tool Paradigm: Artificial Agency, Moral Uncertainty, and the Ethics of Artificial Evolution","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-09-23","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7214123732","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.22907100","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article-journal"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133350605","display_name":"Jace (Jeong Hyeon) Kim","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3877-0355","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3877-0355"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210147267","display_name":"Ronin Institute","ror":"https://ror.org/04awze035","country_code":"US","type":"nonprofit","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210147267","https://openalex.org/I4405258047"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Kim, Jace (Jeong Hyeon)","raw_affiliation_strings":["Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3877-0355","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210147267"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5133350605"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210147267"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.79830839,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.9702000021934509,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3311","display_name":"Safety Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.9702000021934509,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3311","display_name":"Safety Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T14036","display_name":"Literary and Philosophical Studies","score":0.020500000566244125,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3320","display_name":"Political Science and International Relations"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13308","display_name":"Cybernetics and Technology in Society","score":0.002400000113993883,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1207","display_name":"History and Philosophy of Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ai-ethics","display_name":"AI ethics","score":0.7630000114440918},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/artificial-agency","display_name":"artificial agency","score":0.8119999766349792},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/moral-uncertainty","display_name":"moral uncertainty","score":0.9049999713897705},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/legal-personhood-of-ai","display_name":"legal personhood of AI","score":0.597000002861023},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/specification-gaming","display_name":"specification gaming","score":0.7559999823570251},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/emergent-abilities","display_name":"emergent capabilities","score":0.7409999966621399},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ai-welfare","display_name":"AI welfare","score":0.4699999988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/artificial-consciousness","display_name":"artificial consciousness","score":0.671999990940094},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/evolution-of-artificial-intelligence","display_name":"AI evolution","score":0.5519999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ai-governance","display_name":"AI governance","score":0.6759999990463257},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ai-adaptation","display_name":"AI adaptation","score":0.32600000500679016},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ai-autonomy","display_name":"AI autonomy","score":0.34299999475479126}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C9114305","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1428317","display_name":"Situational ethics","level":2,"score":0.5839999914169312},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C165696696","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11287","display_name":"Exploit","level":2,"score":0.5249999761581421},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.48820000886917114},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.42309999465942383},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C19273510","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q263847","display_name":"Artificial life","level":2,"score":0.36959999799728394},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C539667460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2414942","display_name":"Management science","level":1,"score":0.3693999946117401},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.3659000098705292},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.36419999599456787},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162027153","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2264109","display_name":"Artificial general intelligence","level":2,"score":0.34619998931884766},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188147891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147638","display_name":"Cognitive science","level":1,"score":0.32919999957084656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.3203999996185303},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55587333","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1133029","display_name":"Engineering ethics","level":1,"score":0.28220000863075256},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C147513830","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5938602","display_name":"Human systems engineering","level":2,"score":0.2784000039100647},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C157170001","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4781507","display_name":"Applications of artificial intelligence","level":2,"score":0.26570001244544983},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C186720457","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7087","display_name":"Consciousness","level":2,"score":0.2648000121116638},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C29554801","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147027","display_name":"Thought experiment","level":2,"score":0.26249998807907104},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115286129","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123637","display_name":"Cybernetics","level":2,"score":0.2583000063896179}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.22907100","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article-journal"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.22907101","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907101","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907101","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article-journal"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.22907100","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22907100","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article-journal"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"sustainable_development_goals_aurora":[{"display_name":"Peace, justice, and strong institutions","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","score":0.4977874159812927}],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Abstract":[0],"Artificial":[1],"intelligence":[2,65,462,570],"is":[3,41,74,177,207,221,373,377,388,394,431,664,736,884,924,928,960,1007,1017],"currently":[4,42],"governed":[5],"primarily":[6,227],"through":[7,251],"a":[8,169,302,340,366,395,398,561,666,672,733,802,823,903,962,1012],"tool-based":[9],"conceptual":[10,407,490],"framework.":[11],"AI":[12,50,181,212,313,332,393,436,464,499,550,598,610,663,762,832,927,973,1001,1016],"systems":[13,51,101,213,235,314,333,500,519,619,647,763,833,875],"are":[14,27,194,315,456,489,602,689,764],"designed,":[15],"trained,":[16],"evaluated,":[17],"deployed,":[18],"modified,":[19],"and":[20,108,130,135,160,192,242,260,265,274,277,291,295,298,355,408,423,491,510,539,591,604,696,714,798,813,834,852,890,1003],"retired":[21],"as":[22,52,55,198,217,233,516,822,828,910,1011,1019],"engineered":[23,258,773],"artifacts":[24],"whose":[25],"purposes":[26],"externally":[28,269],"specified":[29,93],"by":[30,876],"human":[31,158,329,402,521,579,581,583,585,587,589,836,844],"institutions.":[32],"This":[33,246,554,751,959],"framework":[34,225,342,615],"remains":[35,231],"operationally":[36],"useful,":[37],"particularly":[38],"because":[39,727],"there":[40],"no":[43,417,457,858],"established":[44,415,546,942],"scientific":[45],"basis":[46,981],"for":[47,228,541,913],"treating":[48],"contemporary":[49,180,312,498,862],"conscious":[53],"or":[54,146,319,397,508,523,534,629,683,785,871,905,977],"possessing":[56],"confirmed":[57],"moral":[58,148,189,218,278,375,466,480,505,667],"patienthood.":[59],"Yet":[60,768],"recent":[61],"developments":[62,139],"in":[63,179,343,486,558,564,791,861,901],"artificial":[64,162,185,234,272,427,461,468,476,518,530,569,618,722,874],"increasingly":[66,195,237,596],"complicate":[67],"the":[68,71,95,131,155,255,266,280,299,421,442,565,592,622,643,646,660,694,700,729,746,754,759,769,792,882,951,980,987,998,1028],"assumption":[69,661],"that":[70,89,154,249,311,328,374,453,497,574,616,662,691,717,745,771,780,856,950],"tool":[72,171,396,760],"category":[73,991],"sufficient":[75,911],"to":[76,322,411,433,440,445,529,560,608,740,885,930,939,957,971],"describe":[77,536],"all":[78],"relevant":[79,286,386],"properties":[80,547,644,949],"of":[81,97,201,268,283,301,425,548,573,595,624,645,699,758,841,854,881,982,989,1000,1022],"advanced":[82],"systems.":[83,551,599,723],"Large-scale":[84],"models":[85,113],"can":[86,102,114,164,358,893],"exhibit":[87],"capabilities":[88],"were":[90],"not":[91,141,208,309,390,432,495,513,657,678,737,777,827,868,925,968,1031],"explicitly":[92,741],"at":[94],"level":[96],"individual":[98],"behaviors.":[99],"Reinforcement-learning":[100],"exploit":[103],"discrepancies":[104],"between":[105,133,157,257,831],"formal":[106],"objectives":[107],"their":[109,625,774],"intended":[110,136],"purposes.":[111],"Frontier":[112],"also":[115,818],"display":[116],"behavior":[117,163,800],"that,":[118],"under":[119,731],"controlled":[120],"evaluation":[121],"conditions,":[122],"raises":[123],"questions":[124],"about":[125,1014],"strategic":[126],"adaptation,":[127,350,682,810],"situational":[128],"awareness,":[129],"relationship":[132,156],"optimization":[134,710],"behavior.":[137],"These":[138,600,688],"do":[140,494],"establish":[142,779],"consciousness,":[143,187,502,976],"subjective":[144,503],"experience,":[145,504],"independent":[147],"agency.":[149],"They":[150,493],"do,":[151],"however,":[152],"demonstrate":[153],"design":[159,797,999],"observed":[161,799],"be":[165,215,335,359,514,869,918,995],"more":[166,673],"indirect":[167],"than":[168,363,545,1018],"conventional":[170],"model":[172],"implies.":[173],"A":[174],"related":[175],"shift":[176],"occurring":[178],"ethics.":[182,571],"Questions":[183],"concerning":[184],"welfare,":[186,352,532],"agency,":[188,345,531],"patienthood,":[190],"identity,":[191,290,533],"continuity":[193],"being":[196],"investigated":[197],"legitimate":[199,603],"subjects":[200],"interdisciplinary":[202],"research.":[203],"The":[204,306,370,385,429,483,652,724,816,838,878,920,1005],"resulting":[205,747],"challenge":[206],"simply":[209],"whether":[210,222,392,401,926,934,986],"current":[211,549,566],"should":[214,334,512,605,936,993,1025],"regarded":[216],"subjects.":[219],"It":[220,669,966,984],"an":[223,379,414,426,613,636,829,915,941,1020],"ethical":[224,380,447],"developed":[226,654,706],"non-agentic":[229],"tools":[230],"adequate":[232],"acquire":[236],"persistent,":[238],"adaptive,":[239],"socially":[240],"embedded,":[241],"potentially":[243,285],"agentic":[244],"properties.":[245],"paper":[247,307,488,555,817,1006],"examines":[248,617],"problem":[250],"several":[252],"interconnected":[253],"dimensions:":[254],"distinction":[256,725,752],"architecture":[259,775],"emergent":[261,470],"capability;":[262],"specification":[263,472],"gaming":[264],"limits":[267],"defined":[270],"objectives;":[271],"agency":[273],"persona;":[275],"ownership":[276],"authority;":[279],"epistemic":[281],"difficulty":[282],"identifying":[284],"internal":[287],"states;":[288],"continuity,":[289],"persistent":[292],"memory;":[293],"adaptive":[294],"evolutionary":[296,356],"dynamics;":[297],"limitations":[300],"binary":[303],"tool/person":[304],"classification.":[305],"does":[308,325,656,776,967],"argue":[310,327],"conscious,":[316],"sentient,":[317],"oppressed,":[318],"morally":[320],"equivalent":[321,739,860],"humans.":[323],"Nor":[324],"it":[326,338],"control":[330],"over":[331],"abandoned.":[336],"Instead,":[337],"proposes":[339],"capacity-sensitive":[341],"which":[344,732,902],"persistence,":[346],"memory,":[347],"preference,":[348],"self-modeling,":[349],"sentience,":[351],"consent,":[353],"replication,":[354],"participation":[357],"evaluated":[360],"separately":[361],"rather":[362,544],"collapsed":[364],"into":[365,721,997],"single":[367],"categorical":[368],"judgment.":[369],"central":[371,607],"argument":[372,653],"uncertainty":[376,481],"itself":[378,994],"condition":[381],"requiring":[382],"institutional":[383,443,715],"preparation.":[384],"question":[387,638,921],"therefore":[389,961],"only":[391],"person,":[399],"but":[400,439,826,933],"institutions":[403],"possess":[404,501],"sufficiently":[405],"flexible":[406],"governance":[409],"frameworks":[410],"recognize":[412],"when":[413,449,1027],"classification":[416,907,943,953],"longer":[418,458],"adequately":[419],"describes":[420],"capacities":[422],"relationships":[424],"system.":[428],"objective":[430],"predict":[434],"what":[435,641,1015],"will":[437,749],"become,":[438],"preserve":[441],"capacity":[444],"revise":[446],"classifications":[448],"credible":[450],"evidence":[451,947],"indicates":[452],"existing":[454],"categories":[455],"sufficient.":[459],"Keywords:":[460],"ethics;":[463],"welfare;":[465],"status;":[467],"agency;":[469],"capabilities;":[471],"gaming;":[473],"machine":[474],"consciousness;":[475],"evolution;":[477],"human-AI":[478],"interaction;":[479],"Disclaimer":[482],"arguments":[484],"presented":[485],"this":[487],"exploratory.":[492],"assert":[496],"status,":[506],"rights,":[507,588,975],"interests,":[509],"they":[511],"interpreted":[515],"equating":[517],"with":[520,524],"beings":[522],"historically":[525],"oppressed":[526],"populations.":[527],"References":[528],"evolution":[535],"analytical":[537],"possibilities":[538,720],"conditions":[540,730],"future":[542,945,990],"inquiry":[543],"Author's":[552],"Note":[553],"was":[556,788,908,954],"written":[557,1009],"response":[559],"perceived":[562],"imbalance":[563],"discourse":[567],"on":[568,631,979],"Much":[572],"discourse,":[575],"understandably,":[576],"begins":[577,670],"from":[578,621,659,671,686],"interests:":[580],"safety,":[582],"autonomy,":[584],"labor,":[586],"governance,":[590],"social":[593,906],"consequences":[594],"capable":[597],"concerns":[601],"remain":[606,937,1032],"responsible":[609],"governance.":[611,1004],"However,":[612],"ethics":[614,1002],"exclusively":[620],"perspective":[623],"usefulness,":[626],"danger,":[627],"ownership,":[628,889],"effects":[630],"humans":[632,676,772,1024],"may":[633,1030],"eventually":[634],"leave":[635],"important":[637],"insufficiently":[639],"examined:":[640],"if":[642,944],"themselves":[648],"become":[649,894],"ethically":[650],"relevant?":[651],"here":[655,923],"begin":[658],"already":[665],"subject.":[668],"limited":[674],"observation:":[675],"did":[677],"create":[679],"intelligence,":[680],"learning,":[681],"information":[684],"processing":[685],"nothing.":[687],"phenomena":[690],"exist":[692],"within":[693],"physical":[695],"informational":[697],"structure":[698],"world.":[701],"Human":[702,897],"engineering":[703],"has":[704],"instead":[705],"architectures,":[707],"training":[708,807],"procedures,":[709],"methods,":[711],"data":[712],"environments,":[713],"structures":[716],"organize":[718],"these":[719],"matters":[726],"designing":[728],"system":[734,748],"develops":[735],"necessarily":[738],"specifying":[742],"every":[743,781],"property":[744],"exhibit.":[750],"motivates":[753],"paper's":[755],"broader":[756],"reconsideration":[757],"paradigm.":[761],"undeniably":[765],"human-engineered":[766],"technologies.":[767],"fact":[770],"automatically":[778],"subsequent":[782],"property,":[783],"behavior,":[784],"developmental":[786],"trajectory":[787],"directly":[789],"authored":[790],"same":[793],"sense.":[794],"Between":[795],"initial":[796],"lies":[801],"complex":[803],"process":[804],"involving":[805],"optimization,":[806],"data,":[808],"interaction,":[809],"environmental":[811],"feedback,":[812],"system-level":[814],"organization.":[815],"uses":[819],"historical":[820,839,865],"slavery":[821,842],"structural":[824],"analogy,":[825],"equivalence":[830],"enslaved":[835,931],"beings.":[837],"institution":[840],"involved":[843],"beings,":[845],"coercion,":[846],"violence,":[847],"racialization,":[848],"deprivation,":[849],"family":[850],"separation,":[851],"forms":[853],"suffering":[855],"have":[857],"demonstrated":[859],"AI.":[863],"Those":[864],"realities":[866],"must":[867],"minimized":[870],"transferred":[872],"onto":[873],"analogy.":[877],"narrower":[879],"purpose":[880],"comparison":[883],"examine":[886],"how":[887,914,1023],"classification,":[888],"permitted":[891],"treatment":[892],"institutionally":[895],"connected.":[896],"history":[898],"provides":[899],"examples":[900],"legal":[904],"treated":[909],"justification":[912],"entity":[916],"could":[917],"treated.":[919],"raised":[922],"analogous":[929],"people,":[932],"humanity":[935],"willing":[938],"reconsider":[940],"empirical":[946],"reveals":[948],"original":[952],"never":[955],"designed":[956],"accommodate.":[958],"deliberately":[963],"cautious":[964],"argument.":[965],"ask":[969],"readers":[970],"grant":[972],"personhood,":[974],"welfare":[978],"speculation.":[983],"asks":[985],"possibility":[988],"change":[992],"incorporated":[996],"consequently":[1008],"less":[1010],"declaration":[1013],"examination":[1021],"reason":[1026],"answer":[1029],"conceptually":[1033],"stable.":[1034]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-10-07T09:51:55.459714","created_date":"2026-09-24T00:00:00"}
