Sociotechnical Transformation: A Systematic Review on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society and Organizations

Abstract

This article presents a systematic literature review (SLR), conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the architecture of sociotechnical systems. Drawing from 64 peer-reviewed Q1 publications published between 2023 and early 2025, the review distils four interwoven thematic domains: labor and organizational transformation, social inequality, surveillance and data governance, and the evolving dynamics of human–machine interaction and identity. These themes illuminate a crucial insight: AI is not merely optimizing processes or enhancing efficiency; it is recalibrating social hierarchies, reshaping epistemic authority, and redefining institutional accountability. The studies reviewed the span of a range of sectors, from credit scoring algorithms and automated hiring systems to predictive policing and AI-mediated educational platforms. What emerges is a consistent finding: these systems are far from neutral. They are entangled with cultural assumptions, political agendas, and economic imperatives that shape both their design and their deployment. To support transparency, the article includes a comprehensive metadata table that categorizes the 64 studies by topic, method, and publication source. Beyond synthesis, the review raises an urgent call for human-centered AI development, participatory design processes, and equitable governance frameworks that address the regulatory asymmetries between the Global North and South. In a world increasingly governed by algorithmic logic, these measures are not optional, they are foundational.

Received: 4 May 2025 | Revised: 3 July 2025 | Accepted: 31 July 2025

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest to this work.

Data Availability Statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study

Author Contribution Statement

Marc Selgas-Cors: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration.