Understanding Capitalism v7.7 — Responsibility Diffusion Regimes and Attribution Instability in Synthetic Agency Systems —

Author: Y. Seo (@momotarou / Japan)Role: Metanist — Human × AI Understanding ArchitectAI Collaboration: AI Understanding SupportORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7669-0612 Abstract This paper extends Synthetic Agency Structures by introducing the framework of Responsibility Diffusion Regimes, examining structural dynamics in which responsibility attribution becomes unstable under distributed agency configurations. While classical social and legal models assume identifiable responsibility holders, AI-integrated systems characterized by layered decision mediation, optimization feedback loops, and interface-guided behavior may generate conditions where causal influence and accountability mapping diverge. Responsibility may no longer follow action directly. It may disperse across structure. 1. Responsibility as a Governance Anchor Traditional systems rely on: Identifiable decision-makers Traceable causal chains Stable accountability mapping Actor-centered liability Distributed agency challenges these assumptions. 2. Defining Responsibility Diffusion Regimes Responsibility Diffusion Regimes refer to: Systemic conditions in which responsibility attribution becomes probabilistic, contested, or structurally ambiguous due to distributed control and synthetic agency dynamics. Responsibility becomes non-local. 3. Mechanisms Producing Diffusion Diffusion may arise through: Multi-layered decision mediation Algorithmic recommendation systems Optimization-driven adaptations Institutional rule overlays Interface-induced behavior shaping No single causal locus dominates. 4. Attribution Instability Systems may exhibit: Causal fragmentation Responsibility overlap Blame displacement Accountability uncertainty Failure without clear authorship becomes possible. 5. AI Systems and Diffusion Acceleration AI-integrated environments intensify diffusion via: Rapid decision cycles Adaptive model shifts Opaque optimization pathways Signal prioritization filters Visibility of influence decreases. 6. Stability Implications Responsibility diffusion may generate: Governance tension Trust volatility Legitimacy erosion Coordination instability Accountability anchors weaken. Conclusion Responsibility Diffusion Regimes reframe accountability challenges as structural consequences of synthetic agency architectures rather than solely ethical or procedural failures. Future governance systems may require attribution stabilization mechanisms compatible with distributed agency realities. ※ Series Declaration This work is part of the Understanding Capitalism series. The series explores value formation, cognitive mediation, and structural transformations of economic perception.