Does AI shape decisions before we do? USF researcher questions what “human in the loop” really means

TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 26, 2026) -- Artificial intelligence is often discussed with a simple safeguard in mind: Keep a human in the loop. But what happens when AI is already shaping the information, options and recommendations that inform a decision?

That question is part of new research by Lorien Jordan, an assistant professor in the USF College of Education.  In a recently published article, Jordan examines recent disputes involving major AI companies and the U.S. Department of Defense, challenging the idea that AI ethics can be reduced to choosing one company or platform over another.

The debate between Anthropic and the Defense Department over how its AI could be used illustrates the question: Even when a human remains responsible for the final decision, what happens when AI has already shaped the information behind it? Jordan's research looks at the broader systems that connect AI technologies to universities, publishers and researchers.

“One of the things that surprised me and that I will continue to research is how we always say we need a human in the loop when we use AI, but as we’re scaling decisions so quickly and so massively, what does it mean to be responsible for the decisions that follow if the information reaching a researcher has already been shaped by the systems behind an AI tool?” 

Her research considers the larger systems behind AI tools and their “heritage” -- platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude are based on frontier large language models and built on shared research and techniques.

“I think awareness is an important aspect of AI,” she said. “Many debate whether one company appears more ‘responsible’ than another, but they are often overlooking the broader infrastructures that connect these technologies.”

The question extends beyond research, as AI is increasingly being used to assist decision-making in fields ranging from health care and education to business and national security.

For qualitative researchers like Jordan, the findings call for greater awareness of the systems in which AI research and use are already embedded. To further explore these concepts, she is in the process of developing a new study to analyze the choices researchers make with AI that will allow participants to see how AI interprets their words in real time. 

Jordan’s work contributes to a growing body of research examining the ethical implications of AI and the larger systems and relationships that make these technologies possible.

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About the University of South Florida

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and USF Health. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report recognized USF with its highest overall ranking in university history, as a top 50 public university for the seventh consecutive year and as one of the top 15 best values among all public universities in the nation. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in the highest tier, placing it as one of the top 16 medical schools in the nation and inside the top 10 among public universities. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $750 million in research funding in 2025 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of nearly $10 billion for the state of Florida. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.