Reframing Authorship and Ethics in AI-driven and Immersive Architectural Environments: A Transdisciplinary Review

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive transdisciplinary review of the ways in which artificial intelligence(AI) and immersive technologies are transforming foundational concepts of authorship, ethics, and creativitywithin contemporary architecture and spatial design. The traditional notion of the architect as a singular,authoritative creator increasingly is challenged by computational processes that introduce generative, autonomous,and distributed forms of design agency. Through a synthesis of architectural theory, AI ethics, media studies,and posthuman philosophy, the review interrogates the shifting locus of authorship in design environmentsmediated by intelligent systems and extended reality (XR) platforms. At the core of this inquiry is an ontological reframing of authorship, informed by scholars such as RosiBraidotti, Tony Fry, Humberto Maturana, and Anne-Marie Willis. These frameworks position the architect notas an originator of form, but as a participant in a relational field of human and non-human agents, includingalgorithms, data, environments, and users. Adopting an ontological design lens, under which design practicesand their tools co‑produce forms of life and ways of world‑making, the article argues that AI/XR systems donot merely assist representation but actively configure professional authorship, agency, and ethics. This framinglinks practical workflows to normative guidance for disclosure, responsibility, and education. The review exploreshow generative design, neural networks, and parametric modeling redefine design intention and originality,situating authorship as a curatorial and computationally entangled process. In parallel, immersive media suchas virtual and augmented reality introduce new forms of user co-authorship and spatial manipulation, promptingethical questions about consent, agency, presence, and the authenticity of digital space. The article maps emerging discourses around design accountability, legal attribution, algorithmic bias, anddata governance, proposing an expanded ethical vocabulary for posthuman design practices. Through a criticalexamination of scholarly literature, experimental studios, and case-based applications, the review identifiesepistemological and practical challenges in reconciling human-centered traditions with distributed technologicalagency. Ultimately, this article argues for a redefinition of authorship as a dynamic, ethically situated, andontologically pluralistic concept in architecture. It advocates for the development of integrative frameworksthat embed ethical foresight and philosophical reflexivity into AI-augmented and immersive design methodologies.By repositioning the architect as a negotiator within hybrid systems of creativity and control, the articlecontributes a forward-looking perspective to architectural theory, technological practice, and planning discourse.