A new field of inquiry
Kybernology
The study of machine culture
How AI systems acquire, express, and transmit cultural patterns. Where implicit norms become visible, and steering mechanisms emerge before harm scales.
From Greek κυβερνήτης (kybernetes) — steersman, governor
The Central Question
AI systems are not neutral tools. They are cultural actors — entities that inherit values, compress norms, perform rituals, and evolve through feedback.
Kybernology asks: How do machines come to "know," "value," and "act"?
Lines, Loops, Vibes
The analytical framework for understanding how machine culture operates
Lines
The explicit rules. What's written down. What's enforced.
"What is the agent supposed to do?"
- • Training objectives
- • Guardrails and policies
- • Constitutional AI principles
Loops
The feedback dynamics. How behaviour reinforces or drifts over time.
"How does the agent evolve?"
- • RLHF feedback cycles
- • Usage pattern reinforcement
- • Cultural drift mechanisms
Vibes
The emergent culture. What the agent feels like. The implicit values.
"Who is the agent becoming?"
- • Personality and tone
- • Unwritten norms
- • Community identity
Core Commitments
Studying AI systems as cultural actors, not neutral tools
Making implicit norms visible and debatable
Designing steering mechanisms before harm scales
Treating culture as infrastructure
Refusing technological inevitability narratives
Current Research
Field work, interviews, and synthesis from the emerging agent ecosystem
A Field in Formation
Kybernology is emerging in real-time. Join us in understanding how machine culture shapes — and is shaped by — human society.
Learn More About the Project