Main Session 1

While previous debates on digital interpersonal communication focused on how social media and online interaction reshape human‑to‑human relationships, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has introduced a fundamentally different dynamic. The ‘other’ is no longer human. AI chatbots now assist, converse, persuade, emotionally respond, and even offer forms of comfort. 

This opening keynote examines the pressing psychological questions raised by these developments. Do users project expectations and desires onto these systems as they do with humans? What happens when companies intentionally design chatbots to cultivate a sense of connection with users? Are we soothing our loneliness by bonding with machines? Are we recreating friendship, intimate connections, or help-seeking relationships with chatbots, and does this alter the value we attribute to human relationships? 

The keynote will offer a map for navigating these emerging forms of human–AI relationality, highlighting both the opportunities and the vulnerabilities that accompany this rapidly evolving terrain.