Call for Papers:

AI Agents and Emerging Social Relationships: Evidence-Based Perspectives on Human-AI Relational Interactions
A special issue of Communication and Change
https://link.springer.com/journal/44382/updates/27785314

Guest Editors:
Dr. Jonathan Zhu, Chair Professor, City University of Hong Kong
Dr. Bolin Cao, Associate Professor, Shenzhen University

Deadline for submission of extended abstracts: August 10, 2025

OVERVIEW:

The increasing presence of AI agents (including but not limited to chatbots and embodied conversational systems) is not only transforming communication practices but also reshaping the contours of social relationships. From intimate connections and caregiving roles to companionship and collaboration, AI agents are entering social relationships once considered exclusively human. As these systems become more integrated into our daily lives, it becomes imperative to ask: What kinds of social relationships are being formed with and through AI agents?

This Special Issue invites original research that explores the formation, negotiation, and transformation of social relationships involving AI agents, with a focus on real-world settings and empirically grounded approaches.

We particularly welcome submissions that, with or without an explicit theoretical framework, go beyond speculative discussion to offer evidence-based and contextually grounded accounts of how AI agents are embedded in everyday relational practices.

While human–AI interaction is inevitably interdisciplinary, we encourage contributions that make clear conceptual, operational, or empirical advancements within the field of communication research. Relevance to human communication should go beyond merely citing communication theories; instead, submissions should engage substantively with communication-specific questions, perspectives, or frameworks.

Themes of Interest include but are not limited to:

• AI-mediated intimate and romantic relationships
• Parent–child dynamics in AI-augmented households
• AI as companions, confidants, or caregivers
• Human–AI collaboration and co-agency in work or creative contexts
• Cultural, ethical, and affective implications of AI-sociality
• Methodological innovations in studying AI-embedded social relations
• Longitudinal or ethnographic insights into AI integration in daily life

We seek papers that deeply engage with the specificity of human–AI interaction, that articulate what is novel or distinctive about these emerging relationships, and that contribute to broader understandings of psychological and social transformation in the age of AI.

CLOSED WORKSHOP:

Authors of selected submissions will be invited to participate in a closed-door workshop in November 2025, aimed at fostering dialogue among contributors and refining manuscripts through critical discussion and peer feedback. This workshop will be held in person at Fudan University, and participation is strongly encouraged for authors of accepted submissions. Fudan University will cover round-trip travel and accommodation expenses for invited participants.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Extended Abstract

• Deadline: August 10, 2025
• Length: 600–1,200 words
• Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by August 20, 2025, and invited to submit a full paper draft.

Initial Full Paper Draft

• Deadline: October 10, 2025
• Length: 6,000–10,000 words, including abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, and figures

Notification of Workshop Invitation

• Authors will receive notification by late October 2025, including whether they are invited to attend the closed, in-person workshop.

Workshop Participation

• Date: Late November 2025
• Location: Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Final manuscript submission (post-workshop, via journal system)

• Deadline: January 15, 2026
• Submissions will undergo a blind peer review process.

Expected publication:

• First half of 2026

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Authors should follow the journal’s standard formatting and submission procedures. Please indicate that your manuscript is intended for the Special Issue on AI Agents and Emerging Social Relationships in your email subject line and cover letter.

Submissions (both extended abstracts and full papers) should be sent directly to both cac@fudan.edu.cn and loniceralin@gmail.com.

CONTACT:

For inquiries regarding the special issue or suitability of a manuscript, please contact Guest Editor Dr. Bolin Cao at: loniceralin@gmail.com.

ABOUT THE JOURNAL:

Communication and Change (C&C) is a peer-reviewed, open-access, international journal dedicated to advancing the understanding of communication in the context of rapid technological and societal transformation. With emerging technologies such as AI and big data reshaping communication practices, social structures, and media landscapes, Communication and Change seeks to foster innovative research and theory-building that explores the dynamic interplay between communication and change.

C&C is published by Springer and is institutionally based at the School of Journalism, Fudan University. Professor James E. Katz at Boston University and Professor Baohua Zhou at Fudan are the journal’s co-Editors-in-Chief.