Cultivating Ecocentric Machines: Changing the Direction of the Anthropocentric Lineage in Intelligent Machines

This article explores strategies for cultivating a paradigm shift in the engineering design of intelligent machines, moving from conventional anthropocentric priorities toward a more ecocentric orientation aligned with ecological ethics. Through a comprehensive literature review, historical patterns of anthropomorphism in intelligent systems are traced, revealing how human-centered considerations have persistently dominated machine design across eras. To disrupt this enduring lineage and integrally reorient technology innovation toward ecological balance, four targeted strategies are proposed: (1) adopting question-seeking and systems thinking; (2) designing integrated ecosystems rather than discrete networks; (3) balancing exploitation with exploration; and (4) infusing diverse perspectives through transdisciplinarity. By reforming engineering education and culture from the ground up, the creation of intelligent machines can be realigned to enrich our shared environment rather than simply maximize human primacy. This paper offers a constructive roadmap to transform the promise of increasingly autonomous technologies in the $21^{\text {st }}$ century and beyond.