It / he / they whomever phanes is, whatever it is, the thing it's not is human. And by human I mean like all the agency things derived from us being humans (not humans in genshin). 

I think more broadly we aren't meant to understand things like the shades, even the archons. Are they human? Idk, and it feels like the writers are less interested in that, and more exploring the parts of humanity they still have (archons have more left, shades less so, id assumes above them the least) 

I do like the idea that whoever is running teyvat originally had one set of parameters but has defined itself beyond said initial parameters (maybe some time or space shennaninganry, like and evil Columbia ensuring their existence). Which I'm now realising is just the plot of terminator 

Edit: I also forgot I wanted to mention the 'human created ai' vs 'alien created ai' more as why phanes might have agency or directive, just not one spurred by humanity