A field guide to systems that talk and act for people.
The harms that matter now leave nothing to screenshot.
They divide into three territories.
Relational. Some build over many conversations, never one.
Delegated. Some are carried out by systems acting for people, out of sight.
Process. Some are settled in the making, before anyone looks.
This guide names them, shows how to spot them, and how to design them out.
Three territories
R · Relational
Companions, assistants and chat: harm that builds over many conversations, not one.
D · Delegated
Agents that book, buy and send for people, and the oversight meant to stop them.
P · Process
Defaults, decisions and research inside the teams that build these systems.
Dated, revised and open to correction.