Sociomaterial Perspectives of AI and Procurement

This chapter explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) shapes organizations and human work, focusing on the emerging challenges facing human-AI collaboration. Its context is the use of AI in the procurement of AI technologies. To analyze this human-technology interaction, we adopt a sociomaterial lens, capturing how algorithms are integrated into organizational dynamics and decision-making processes, thereby delineating the boundaries between humans and technology. From this perspective, we discuss the potential of ‘artificial humans’ - AI systems which increasingly emulate human cognition and decision-making - within procurement. We therefore interpret AI not merely as a tool for enhancing procurement efficiency, but also as an entity intended to transform organizational practices and social relations. We consider the long-term implications of AI integration for human roles, expertise, and decision-making, emphasizing the need for balanced, human-aware and technology-inclusive approaches to AI. Drawing upon public sector publications, we then identify ethical challenges and the need for transparency and accountability within AI procurement. Our findings show how the ethical, societal, and operational outcomes of AI – and its embeddedness within human activities - can be determined and managed during the procurement process.
Keywords: AI procurement, artificial humans, sociomateriality, human-AI collaboration, ethics