Thinking of otherness in the era of ai. For a pedagogy of emotional intelligence in formal contexts
Year: 2026
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The education of emotional intelligence becomes central within formal contexts insofar as it concerns the formation of subjects capable of recognising themselves, others, and the relational fabric of human experience. Children and adolescents are growing up amid affective precariousness, the fragility of adult presence, and the increasing technological mediation of interpersonal exchanges. In this scenario, human agency risks being obscured by practices that transfer to intelligent machines functions of listening, guidance, and consolation. The shift from embodied relationship to artificial interaction represents a critical juncture in contemporary education. Although young people are aware that chatbots, voice assistants, and Emotion AI systems possess neither consciousness nor authentic emotional participation, they increasingly entrust such devices with their insecurities and their need for recognition. The machine appears available, patient, and non-judgemental; for this reason, it is perceived as an interlocutor when adult relationships capable of genuine listening are lacking. Chapter in: Francesco Peluso Cassese (ed.), Algorithmic Heartbeats: Affective Education in the Age of the Fourth Revolution, REN Press – Cares srl, 2026, pp. 63-64. ISBN 979-12-82860-00-0. Volume DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23211262. Section: Generative AI and New Narratives of the Self.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7224838871