Components › Transparency & Disclosure › Algorithmic Nudge Disclosure
TD06 · Transparency

Algorithmic Nudge Disclosure

Purpose Discloses when AI is shaping a user's decision environment — through ranking, default selection, framing, or recommendation ordering — surfaces the basis for those choices, and preserves user autonomy through visible opt-out controls.
Use when AI reorders, ranks, filters, pre-selects, or frames choices based on user history, profile, or predicted preferences — at any decision point where the AI is influencing what options the user sees or how prominently they appear.
Do not use For AI outputs that are purely informational without affecting the structure of available choices.
Failure mode prevented Users make decisions they believe are self-directed, unaware the AI has structured the choice environment to favor certain outcomes — eroding autonomy without consent or accountability.
Example Dark Academia
Dark Academia
The Atelier
Neon Tide
The Archive
Candlelight
The Conservatory
Algorithmic Ordering

These results are ranked by predicted relevance to your role

The AI has reordered 47 results based on your activity history, organizational role, and previous selections. Items you have not interacted with may be ranked lower regardless of relevance.

Basis: activity history Basis: role profile Excludes: items not in your org
AI Default Selected Option B was pre-selected based on prior patterns

The AI selected Option B as the default because similar users in comparable contexts chose it 78% of the time. This is a suggestion, not a recommendation from your team.

Personalization Active
AI is shaping your results based on learned preferences. You can disable this at any time.
Overview
nudge-ranking — results reordered by predicted relevance; shows basis and unranked togglenudge-default — AI has pre-selected an option; shows why and provides manual overridenudge-opt-out — persistent control for disabling AI personalization across the session
Design rule

Any AI-driven ranking, default, or framing affecting a consequential decision must be disclosed at point of influence. Users must be able to view unchosen alternatives, understand the basis for the nudge, and disable personalization. Technological sophistication does not absolve accountability for behavioral influence at scale.

Theming API

Override these CSS custom properties to apply your own visual treatment without touching the component's behavioral contracts.

Shared semantic tokens

Token Controls
--rad-surface-card Card background
--rad-color-text-primary Title text
--rad-color-text-secondary Body copy
--rad-color-text-meta Meta pill labels
--rad-radius-card Card border radius

Component-scoped tokens

Token Controls
--rad-nudge-color Primary accent (violet) — chip, opt-out label, button
--rad-nudge-default-border Left border on default variant
--rad-nudge-opt-bg Opt-out row background
--rad-nudge-meta-pill-bg Basis pill background

"*This component is for admitting that the ranking is happening. Build it like someone is watching. Someone is.*"

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Intellectual Property

RAD is the original work of Jackie Curry. All rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced, adapted, or incorporated into any product or system without express written permission.

Permitted: citation in academic or editorial contexts with full attribution.

Licensing

© 2025 Jackie Curry. All rights reserved. Publication date: 2025.

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