Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research, while enhancing transferable skills. Students were challenged to describe their research, scholarship or creative activity in 150 or fewer words to share with our community.

How Is Technology Shifting Away Control from Humans: Blockchain, AI, and the Future of Algorithmic Authority

Nowadays, algorithms are no longer just tools: people rely on them for everything from picking who they date to managing complex financial transactions. In many cases, algorithms execute tasks autonomously or make decisions on behalf of individuals. In organizations, algorithms guide decisions such as hiring and firing employees. Moreover, algorithms influence broader economic trends, as seen in the case of cryptocurrency markets. Given the increasing power of algorithms, my research investigates “algorithmic authority,” which denotes the power of algorithms in managing human actions. I study how emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence redefine power structures and decision-making processes at individual and organizational levels. My doctoral research explores how these technologies transform governance structures, offering insights into the evolving nature of authority and power in the digital era. My goal is to understand the profound transformation of our world due to the rise of algorithmic authority.

Leily Soleimanof
PhD candidate, Business Administration
Ivey Business School

Supervisor
Derrick Neufeld (https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/faculty_research/directory/derrick-neufeld/)

Leily Soleimanof (she/her) is a PhD student at the Ivey Business School, Western University. She is intrigued by how emerging technologies transform individuals, organizations, and societies. Her doctoral research focuses on the effects of emerging digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and blockchain, on governance and decision-making processes. Prior to her time at Ivey, Leily completed a BSc in industrial engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran. She has also worked part-time as a teacher and has been actively involved in various NGOs and student associations.

You can connect with Leily on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leily-soleimanof-a50aa417a/ and via email at lsoleimanof.phd@ivey.ca. 

View Leily's work as it appears in the Inspiring Minds Digital Collection:  https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/671/.