PNAS 123/34 pp. e2610388123-e2610388123 2026-08-17 Original Value misalignment in X’s feed algorithm is a reflection of value tensions in engagement
Ziv Epstein, Farnaz Jahanbakhsh, Tiziano Piccardi, Axel Peytavin, Isabel Gallegos, Shardul Sapkota, Dora Zhao, Johan Ugander, Michael S. Bernstein
PMR — pp. 1-25 2026-04-16 Original Framing AI in public innovation: the engagement-manipulation nexus
Adedapo Adebajo, Ngozi Okpara, Aisha Kolawole
Abstract
AI integration into public service innovation creates a paradox: promising enhanced engagement while risking manipulation. This paper develops the Engagement-Manipulation Nexus, a conceptual framework using Framing Theory to analyse this tension. We adapt Framing Theory to the algorithmic era, arguing AI is both an object to be framed and an agent disseminating frames. AI innovation trajectories are forged through communicative struggles among actors deploying competing frames. This paper contributes a novel theoretical framework, theorizes public innovation as communicatively constructed, and provides a diagnostic tool for practitioners. Critical frame awareness is essential for steering AI towards public value and democratic governance.