Call for Papers:
Beyond Artificial: Exploring the Socio-Emotional Landscape of AI
Special issue of Communication and Change (C&C)
https://link.springer.com/journal/44382/updates/27706964
Deadline for submissions: March 1, 2025
Communication and Change (C&C) is accepting submissions to a forthcoming special issue themed “Beyond Artificial: Exploring the Socio-Emotional Landscape of AI.”
Dazzling – and daunting – are the possibilities in a future where love, friendship, and even our sense of self might be redefined by the machines we create. Even today, conversational agents and digital personal assistants are increasingly participating in daily lives throughout technologically advanced societies. And as enthusiastically as they are being embraced currently, the future for these agents seems destined to mushroom. In one estimate, by Statista.com, the market for AI companion technologies is projected to grow to $2 billion by the year 2030. Even if optimistic, such figures point toward a transformative shift in human-machine interaction with as yet uncharted implications.
These agents are poised to become pivotal actors within the dynamics of human relationships, reshaping not only traditional bonds like marriage and friendship but also becoming springboards for new ways of living, socializing, and perceiving one’s place in the world. Various stages of life, with adolescence as an example, might take on entirely new forms in the presence of AI companions and through their capabilities. The increasing sophistication of AI companions, capable of simulating empathy, understanding, and emotional connection, raises profound questions about the nature of intimacy, authenticity, and the boundaries between the human and the artificial.
This transformative potential of these communication systems necessitates a critical examination of the social factors, norms, and principles that will underpin how these technologies are used. Designers themselves must grapple with ethical considerations, and thought must be given to how such dimensions can be factored into the design process. As an area increasingly part of public concern, governmental bodies are aggressively seeking to craft policies and regulations that guide – and limit – conversational companions’ activities. Design and regulatory forces, along with user demand, will provide a complex environment within which conversational companions will evolve. As a result of these forces, a host of social scientific and philosophical questions are raised. It is the purpose of our workshop to examine them. These questions include (but are not limited to):
- REDEFINING CONNECTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: How will AI companions influence intimacy, friendship, and love? Will interpersonal communication patterns change, and to what effect? How will AI companions shape the development of social skills and emotional intelligence in children and adolescents?
- PHENOMENOLOGY: Will the experience of living be transformed by conversational agents? Will humans see their lives through a different perspective? Will important developmental stages be changed and with what impact? Will forms of social organization, such as peer-groups and identitarian-groups wither while new ones emerge? How will AI companions impact our perception of self and identity?
- ETHICS OF ARTIFICIAL AFFECTION: Can machines generate genuine emotional bonds? What are the potential risks of manipulation and dependence? What mechanism should be in place to monitor and control conversational agents? How can we ensure the ethical development and use of AI companions, particularly in vulnerable populations?
- SECURITY AND PRIVACY OF AI AGENT INTERACTIONS: Given the rise of disinformation and ransomware, is there a way to prepare for and mitigate these kinds of threats? Can these concerns interfere with the adoption of AI conversational agents?
- CONVERSATIONAL AI IN ACTION – CASE STUDIES AND REAL-WORLD IMPACT: How have the applications of AI companions been deployed in healthcare, education, entertainment, and with what effect? What are the cultural variations in the acceptance and use of AI companions? Will there be effects on employment and workplace practices?
- DESIGNING FOR EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING: How can AI companions be crafted in ways that foster genuine connection and emotional intelligence? How closely do they need to emulate a human to be effective? How can we design AI companions that are inclusive and accessible to diverse populations?
- AI AND SOCIAL SKILLS: Analyzing the impact of AI companions on the development and maintenance of social skills. Can AI companions teach us to be more empathetic and understanding? How might AI companions affect our ability to communicate and interact with other humans? Are there potential negative consequences of relying on AI companions for social interaction?
- FRIEND OR TOOL? THE VALUE SPECTRUM OF AI COMPANIONSHIP: Will AI enhance or devalue human connections? Can these relationships exist on a spectrum of utility and emotional depth? What are the economic implications of the growing AI companion market?
- AI COMPANIONS AND CULTURAL VARIATION: Exploring the cultural differences in the acceptance and use of AI companions. How do cultural values and norms shape attitudes toward AI companions? Are there cultural differences in the types of relationships people form with AI companions? How can we design AI companions that are culturally sensitive and respectful?
- AI COMPANIONS AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY: Investigating the potential for AI companions to exacerbate or mitigate social inequalities and inter-group conflict. How might AI companions affect access to resources, opportunities, and social support, and how might this vary due to economic conditions? Could AI companions create biases and discrimination? How can we ensure that the benefits and risks of AI companionship are equitably distributed?
- MAPPING THE MORAL MAZE: Can empirical social science create ways to navigate ethical dilemmas arising from AI companions? Can social issues, ranging from privacy concerns to discrimination and bias, be modeled and addressed? How can we mitigate the potential negative impacts of AI companions on employment and social inequality?
- PSYCHOLOGICAL DANCE – ADAPTING TO AI COMPANIONSHIP: What are the potential effects on mental health, identity formation, and social dynamics? How will AI companions affect our understanding of consciousness and sentience?
- INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES & DIGITAL DIVIDES: What can we expect in terms of addressing perennial problems such as inherent bias, and group differentials in terms of access and civic engagement? How can we ensure that the benefits of AI companionship are equitably distributed?
This special issue welcomes scholarly contributions that explore from various perspectives the multifaceted consequences of conversational agents on human interaction and individual experience. In that spirit, papers on topics beyond those listed above will be considered.
Embracing a global outlook, Communication and Change seeks contributions that transcend national boundaries and foster a cross-cultural dialogue on these vital issues. Case studies from varied contexts are highly encouraged as are empirically based perspectives. The special issue will provide a base for scholars to explore the broader societal and policy implications of AI conversational agents with clarity and depth.
INFORMATION ON SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATION
Authors are invited to submit full papers until March 1st, 2025 through the C&C online submission site. Please indicate the work is being submitted for consideration for the special issue on “Beyond Artificial: Exploring the Socio-Emotional Landscape of AI” in the cover letter. Manuscripts should strictly follow the C&C submission guidelines.
The anticipated date for notifications is currently set for June 1st, 2025. The special issue is expected in the Fall of 2025.
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