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Humanities
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Social Sciences
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New legal studies
The Post-Human Turn: A Scoping Review of AI, Digital Culture, and the Evolution of Human Identity in the 21st Century
Volume 5, Issue 1, 2023-2024, Pages 175 - 179
1- aResearch and Clinical Center for Infertility, Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Abstract :
Abstract
The 21st century is defined by a "post-human turn," a socio-technical shift blurring the lines between human and machine, biology and technology, and physical and virtual realities. Driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital culture, this transformation necessitates a critical examination of its impact on the core construct of human identity. This scoping review aims to map the key themes, debates, and gaps in the interdisciplinary literature exploring this intersection. Following the PRISMA-ScR framework, a systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases (2010-2024) was conducted. The analysis identified five central thematic domains: 1) The Cyborgian Self (human-AI integration), 2) The Algorithmic Self (identity construction through datafication), 3) Virtual Embodiment and the Pluralization of Selfhood, 4) The Delegation of Human Agency, and 5) Normative and Ethical Challenges (privacy, bias, redefining values). The findings reveal a decisive move away from a static, essentialist view of human identity towards a dynamic, relational, and technologically-mediated one. The post-human condition presents a dualism of empowerment and alienation, offering new forms of agency while posing significant threats to autonomy and privacy. This review concludes by calling for robust, human-centric ethical frameworks and further empirical research into the long-term psychosocial effects of this ongoing evolution.
