Emotional cyborgs in a hyperconnected world : AI, embodiment, and ecofeminist, theological reflections on humanity and the divine

english

2025

volume 30, issue 119/120

emotional cyborgs   emotions   gender stereotypes   hyperconnected reality   relationality   theological ecofeminism

Znanstveno-raziskovalno središče Koper
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Through the critical lens of theological ecofeminism, this article offers a nu-anced analysis of the concept of the (emotional) cyborg, interrogating how the integration of technology into human (emotional) life reshapes individual iden-tity, affective experience, and social relationality. Central to this inquiry are the dynamics of human interaction with affective computing and artificial emotional intelligence, broadly defined as technological systems capable of mimicking, in-terpreting, simulating, and responding to human emotions. as developments in artificial intelligence and biotechnology continue to ad-vance, the boundary between human and machine becomes increasingly porous. Within this context, the figure of the emotional cyborg emerges as a compelling framework for examining the transformation of human emotion and connection in technologically mediated environments.This investigation is situated within broader socio-cultural concerns, particu-larly the contemporary quest for authenticity in a hyperconnected world, where digital interactions frequently eclipse embodied, face-to-face communication. Drawing on posthumanist and critical ecofeminist theory, this article explores the implications of the entanglement between human and artificial emotional intelli-gence. among the key concerns are the potential for emotional alienation, the ero-sion of empathy and emotional literacy, and the commodification of affective life.in addition, the analysis engages with the implications of these shifts for press-ing contemporary issues, including mental health, social isolation, and the recon-figuration of community and belonging. at its core, the presentation interrogates how emotional cyborgs intersect with gendered experiences within technologically saturated realities, and challenges and reimagines traditional theological concep-tions of embodiment and relationality.The emotional cyborg, conceived as the hybridization of human emotional capacities with artificial intelligence, functions simultaneously as a reflection of and intervention in prevailing social constructions of gender, affectivity, and in-tersubjective connection.

04.03.2026