AI as the “final frontier”? Narratives, geographies, and relationships in the human–algorithm coproduction

This article critically interrogates the metaphor of artificial intelligence (AI) as a “final frontier,” revealing its colonial and expansionist roots and its inadequacy in capturing the embeddedness of AI systems within complex sociotechnical landscapes. Combining a geographical perspective with insights from computer engineering, we argue that the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act marks a paradigmatic shift from narratives of conquest to frameworks grounded in regulation, accountability, and coproduction. Through empirical vignettes in healthcare, recruitment, and criminal justice, we show how AI operates not in neutral or uncharted spaces, but within spatially and institutionally situated environments. Algorithmic systems both shape and are shaped by territorial infrastructures, legal frameworks, and social relations. By bridging disciplinary approaches, the paper advances a nuanced, interdisciplinary understanding of human–algorithm interaction – one that moves beyond deterministic imaginaries to address the spatial, political, and ethical dimensions of AI governance.