Observing the Environment of Technology

Steven Watson

Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 2025, vol. 42, issue 2, 423-433

Abstract: This paper explores the conceptualisation of technology as an autopoietic system, addressing the limitations of instrumentalist, deterministic and human‐centred perspectives in understanding the relationship between technology and society. By framing technology as a self‐referential, operationally closed system, the analysis highlights its capacity to generate and sustain its own structures through dynamic feedback loops with human agency, societal needs and innovation. Drawing on Luhmann's systems theory and extending the work of Reichel, the study examines the interplay of medium, form, code and program within technological systems, illustrating how technology observes its environment and evolves. Key examples, including the printing press and generative AI, demonstrate how technology coevolves with social and cultural systems, reshaping societal norms while adapting to environmental perturbations. The paper also addresses controversies surrounding the autopoiesis of technology, particularly considering its distinct yet interconnected nature with living systems. By positioning individuals, social systems and technology as observers, the study emphasizes the triadic coevolution of these entities and the implications for innovation and societal transformation. This perspective offers a nuanced framework for understanding technology's agency, systemic interdependencies and ethical challenges, advancing debates on its evolving role in addressing global issues within the Anthropocene.

Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:srbeha:v:42:y:2025:i:2:p:423-433

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