Before You Think: System 0, AI-Mediated Cognition and Cognitive Colonization
This paper examines three recent frameworks for understanding the cognitive and epistemic consequences of artificial intelligence: Tri-System Theory, Thinkframes, and System 0. It argues that while the first two capture important dimensions of AI's influence on individual reasoning and collective epistemic practices, System 0 occupies a theoretically distinctive position that neither can fully replicate. The paper introduces the concept of cognitive colonization, according to which AI systems can embed external interests within the architecture of the self in ways that are difficult for users to perceive. Because such systems are already widely deployed, understanding these invisible form...
| Authors | Marianna Bergamaschi Ganapini, Massimo Chiriatti, Enrico Panai et al. |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.AI |
| Published | 11 June 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 11 June 2026 |
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