We are proud to announce that one of our PhD student Bogdan-Andrei Lungu has published an article in the prestigious journal AI & Society: “Machines looping me: artificial intelligence, recursive selves and the ethics of de-looping”. Read the article here.
Published on September 23, 2025, the article examines how machine learning’s recursive systems shape digital “doubles” of individuals, raising profound ethical questions about autonomy, agency, and self-determination in the age of AI. A case study on mental health chatbots illustrates how recursive functions of machine learning can constrain human identities by reducing them to data profiles.
As a response, the article proposes an ethical framework of “de-looping” — normative and technical interventions that break recursive cycles and restore transparency in algorithmic processes.
This achievement highlights the excellence of UBB’s doctoral students in advancing critical perspectives on artificial intelligence and digital ethics.