The present contribution examines the reconfiguration of the self and institutions, focusing on companionate relationships in the era of 'algorithmic intimacy' and the 'digital risk society.' From this perspective, it combines theoretical contributions from critical posthumanism and feminist new materialisms, as well as from the sociology of risk and digital sociology. At the core are transformations in intimacy through dating platforms, artificial intelligence, and humanoid robots, along with new forms of embodiment and emotional consumption. Simultaneously, new risks are highlighted, from surveillance and abusive behaviors, to the new forms of psychotherapy. The ultimate question is whether these practices lead to new forms of coexistence, resistance, or to the further disposability of love and human bonds.
Christos Kouroutzas (Mon,) studied this question.