PCR Professional Development Workshop: Reflections on Emergent AI Technologies and the Practices of Teaching, Care, and Counseling

Facilitated by long-time PCR members Kelly Bulkeley, Kirk Bingaman, and Jaco Hamman, this workshop aims to stimulate greater critical awareness of practical issues in psychology and religion prompted by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Initially framed by three different perspectives on the practical use and future potentials of AI, the workshop will center on small-group discussions of several key questions: What cultural values and norms are being built into AI systems? How does human agency and subjectivity change when engaging with AI? What kind of transference relationship is formed when people seek answers, guidance, or companionship from AI? What role can/will AI play in practices of therapy and counseling? As we enter another era of social disruption driven by rapid, seemingly irreversible technological advances, is it possible to balance the creative use of these tools with a forceful critique of their dangers?