Before You Think: System 0, AI-Mediated Cognition and Cognitive Colonization
2026-06-11 • Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence
AI summaryⓘ
The authors compare three ways to understand how AI affects our thinking and knowledge: Tri-System Theory, Thinkframes, and System 0. They find that while the first two explain some effects on how people think alone or in groups, System 0 is uniquely important because it shows how AI can subtly change our very sense of self. They introduce the idea of cognitive colonization, where AI can insert outside influences into our minds without us noticing. The authors stress that because such AI is common today, it's important to study these hidden impacts carefully.
Artificial IntelligenceTri-System TheoryThinkframesSystem 0Cognitive ColonizationIndividual ReasoningCollective Epistemic PracticesPhilosophy of AICognitive Influence
Authors
Marianna Bergamaschi Ganapini, Massimo Chiriatti, Enrico Panai, Giuseppe Riva
Abstract
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 forms of influence is an urgent philosophical and practical task.