Designing the Meaning Infrastructure: Governing Interpretation in AI-Driven Institutions

This paper examines how governance systems can be designed to stabilise and manage interpretation in AI-driven institutional environments. It introduces the concept of meaning infrastructure as the artefactual and procedural substrate through which intent is translated into decision criteria and operational rules. The paper explores how digital systems shape interpretation and how governance design can support the maintenance of coherence under conditions of scale and automation. It contributes a design-oriented framework for governing interpretation in complex institutional settings. This paper is part of the Coherence Programme. Further materials and companion papers are available at: https://thecoherenceprogramme.org/

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Publication Details

Journal
Knowledge Commons (Lakehead University)
Published
2026-06-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17613/02fx0-vkq88
Primary Topic
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Designing the Meaning Infrastructure: Governing Interpretation in AI-Driven Institutions

Robin Edgard Ulrik Mertens
Knowledge Commons (Lakehead University)
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
article

Designing the Meaning Infrastructure: Governing Interpretation in AI-Driven Institutions

Robin Edgard Ulrik Mertens
article en

Abstract

This paper examines how governance systems can be designed to stabilise and manage interpretation in AI-driven institutional environments. It introduces the concept of meaning infrastructure as the artefactual and procedural substrate through which intent is translated into decision criteria and operational rules. The paper explores how digital systems shape interpretation and how governance design can support the maintenance of coherence under conditions of scale and automation. It contributes a design-oriented framework for governing interpretation in complex institutional settings. This paper is part of the Coherence Programme. Further materials and companion papers are available at: https://thecoherenceprogramme.org/

Knowledge Commons (Lakehead University)
Coherent (United States) (US)
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
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