Artificial Intelligence for Men or Men for Artificial Intelligence: Reading Her Through a Survey on Artificial Intelligence and Mental Health

In the age of rapid technological advancement, the intersection between humanity and artificial intelligence (AI) has become a focal point of exploration and speculation. This research paper delves into the symbiotic relationship between humans and AI and aims to determine the effect of artificial intelligence on the human psyche. It draws parallels with the acclaimed movie Her (2013) directed by Spike Jonze and attempts to show how an overwhelming attachment to a machine could also lead to some disastrous effects on one’s mental health. It further traces the concepts of ‘biopower ‘and ‘biopolitics’ as developed by renowned French philosopher Michael Foucault and shows how a body is constantly under surveillance through various institutions, systems, or technologies working in society. It shows how a body becomes a major tool for regulatory conduct through machines like artificial intelligence. The paper further develops a linkage between the understanding of the human psyche and artificial intelligence through a case study performed by interviewing certain people from similar backgrounds whose responses would be taken to analyze whether the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence could be assessed as a complementary one. Studying the report of the case study, the paper delves into the question of assistance and dependency and whether the two words can be used at par with each other in the context of artificial intelligence. Interrogating the aspects of the emotional association of AI with humans and locating the transition as approached in the movie and the case study, the paper tries to conclude by posing the question if AI is for humans or humans for AI.