We are facing a technoscientific crisis of responsibility. Emerging technologies like AI, virtual reality, brain-computer interfaces, and synthetic biology are immensely powerful and pose enormous risks. The recent turn to justice in technology ethics has called for society’s right to refuse certain technologies (e.g., facial recognition surveillance and autonomous weapons). However, engineers and innovators don’t like being told, “no”. Why is this the case and what does it say for our ability to stop harmful innovations if those developing new technologies have trouble letting go of their beloved objects? This presentation explores the affective psychosocial relationships between engineers and their technologies and how they manage uncomfortable feelings when being asked to consider stopping an innovation. It draws from research conducted with university and industry engineers developing novel “touchless” haptic technologies for autonomous vehicles. 25 engineers and researchers were asked to respond to prompts and write a fictional scenario set in the near future with specific instructions to try to imagine risks and harms associated with the technology. I conducted follow-up interviews with 13 engineers to learn more about how they felt reflecting on harm and risk. The presentation draws from psychoanalytic psychosocial studies (Kleinian tradition) to explore the uncomfortable feelings that arise when innovators are asked to confront risks and harms associated with their work - frustration, guilt, envy, empathy, anxiety – and how the discomfort brought about by these emotional conflicts is defended against at different levels – individual, group, and institution. It will also consider what scope there is for responsible innovation and the governance of emerging technologies in the context of this defendedness. Is it possible to say “no” to people who are emotionally invested in the birth and realisation of their innovations? Conference relevance - Coping mechanisms and resilience (in context of technoscientific responsibility).

In this presentation, we propose a psychosocial diagnosis of the present crisis of democracy – one that links mundane cultural practices to wider political effects. More concretely, we propose a close connection between digital culture and an erosion of trust in democratic institutions within wider political-economic contexts. Specifically, we argue that the ways in which cultural forms of communication and interaction have been changing under the influence of digitalisation are closely linked to an ongoing ‘turn towards the self’. This turn, we claim, is at the same time one away from established democratic institutions.
Already at the level of basic media affordances – “liking”, “following”, “sharing” – an orientation towards the self becomes evident. Due to the basic ‘publicity’ of online interactions, users tend to become absorbed by questions of how the articulation of what they do online might reflect back on them. This reflexive capture, in turn, plays into ongoing neoliberal transformation processes in Western-type societies – individualism, improvement, competition. Together, they increasingly undermine interpersonal cohesion and concern for others. Online communities focused on wellness and health, for example, are becoming increasingly suffused with attitudes that drastically reject national-health institutions. In our paper, we analyse one such case of a self-improvement community and its turn away from democratic principles in an effort to cast light on the main lines of reasoning accompanying this turn.

In this discussion, we will delve into the internal world of individuals with schizoid personality traits as they navigate the social media landscape. By using prominent psychoanalytic theories and observing schizoid dynamics in the context of social media, we aim to unveil the complexities of this hidden, semi-anonymous world.

Individuals with schizoid personality often struggle to establish and maintain meaningful relationships due to deep-seated insecurities rooted in early experiences of frustration and disappointment. Social media provides a platform for these individuals to seek connections with others, yet these digital relationships are often fragile and easily broken. Our inquiry will focus on the emotional dynamics underpinning these online interactions and the role social media plays in shaping them.

Despite their interpersonal challenges, individuals with schizoid personality possess a remarkable capacity for psychological insight. This intriguing juxtaposition serves as the foundation for further research and clinical interventions and continues to influence contemporary psychoanalytic and psychosocial discourse.

We argue that social media presents a double-edged sword for individuals in the schizoid state. On one hand, it offers hope for meaningful connections; on the other, it can lead to sudden disconnections and vulnerability, mirroring the paranoid-schizoid position. this is kind of crisis which the conference theme layed on .This paper aims to shed light on the enigmatic inner world of schizoid personalities as they interact with the digital realm, fostering a deeper understanding of their unique experiences and struggles.