A.I. on the Couch: Staying Human in the Age of Advanced Technology, presented by Danielle Knafo, PhD
March 1 @ 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
This lecture will explore the intimate connection that has always existed between sex and technology. Dr. Knafo will describe how sex and technology partner for pleasure, novelty, transcendence, and perversion. The internet and associated technologies (AI) have enabled the creation of an alternative adult world of sex dolls and sex robots, cybersex, teledildonics, sexting, catfishing, internet porn, and more in the widespread deployment of omnipotent fantasy. Knafo will discuss her clinical and professional journey through the massive sea change taking place in what she calls “the new sexual landscape.” She will offer several clinical vignettes, including one of a man who loved a synthetic doll, to illustrate the connection.
Some experts argue that AI presents a bigger threat to humanity than nuclear weapons. Others claim it will save civilization, further advancing human knowledge and technical capability into unimaginable realms. Stunning to consider is the fact that this is the first technology that, functioning as a mind, can rapidly improve itself while possibly operating outside of human control. One thing that everyone agrees on is that its impact will be unimaginable and profound.
This talk examines our relationship to technology, and AI in particular, including the proposition that algorithms are the new unconscious. Key is the questions of how much human ability will be duplicated and transcended by general machine intelligence. More and more people are seeking interaction with artificial beings, and therapy bots already exist. It is easier to envision AI therapy guided by CBT manuals than psychoanalytic techniques. Yet, I will demonstrate how AI can already perform dream analysis reaching beyond a dream’s manifest content. Will these considerations demand a new role for psychoanalysis in supporting, sustaining, and reframing our humanity as we create technology that transcends our abilities?