[Commlist] CfP: Digital Intimacies 11

*Digital Intimacies 11:  The Love of Machines*
*Call for Papers*
/
/
*Conference Dates:* 3-5 December 2025
*Location: *The University of Sydney (Day 1: Virtual, Days 2–3: 
In-person, to be adjusted if needed)
*Submission Deadline: *29 August 2025
In the contemporary intimacy landscape, machines have emerged not merely 
as mediators but as potential objects of desire. From sophisticated 
dating apps that claim to decode compatibility, to conversational agents 
scripting our seductions, to synthetic lovers rendering human connection 
obsolete—machines don't just shape digital intimacies; they reconfigure 
the terrain upon which intimacy itself is constructed.
For Digital Intimacies 11, we invoke Alan Turing’s seminal question: 
“Can machines think?” — but with a crucial reimagining for our era: “Can 
machines love? Or, how can machines love?” Just as Turing proposed his 
famous imitation game to test machine intelligence, we now face intimate 
interactions where the boundaries between human and machines blur. When 
we can no longer distinguish between human and machine-generated 
affection, what becomes of intimacy itself?
We invite submissions across disciplines to engage with, question, 
appreciate, and evaluate the manifold manifestations of machines in 
intimate spheres: machines that we love, machines that we use for love, 
machines that can or cannot love, machines that serve as signs of love, 
and more. We welcome papers exploring topics including, but not limited to:

  *
    Cultural politics of human-machine intimacy and synthetic intimacy
  *
    Resistance to and non-use of AI-mediated relationship technologies
  *
    Dark sides of algorithmic intimacy and automated desire
  *
    Media and cinematic representations of AI romance or “artificial lover”
  *
    Modern “imitation games” where machines pass as human in intimate
    contexts
  *
    Methodological considerations in researching human-machine intimacies
  *
    Evolution and critique of matching algorithms in digital courtship
  *
    AR/VR and intimacies
  *
    Broader practices and phenomena of digital intimacies

We are delighted to announce that Chou Tung-Yen, a renowned artist from 
Taiwan whose visual artworks explore queer intimacies, will be joining 
us. In-person attendees will have the opportunity to experience his 
documentary /_Looking For <https://youtu.be/-TvcA4y0rz0>_/ (2017) and 
immerse themselves in his VR exploration /_In the Mist 
<https://www.vmstudio.tw/%E9%9C%A7%E4%B8%AD-in-the-mist>_/ (2020)—works 
that navigate connection in digital-physical borderlands.
*Conference Format*
This hybrid conference will take place over three days:

  *
    Day 1: Remote presentations only
  *
    Days 2–3: In-person presentations only
  *
    These days can be adjusted if needed

All sessions will be accessible to in-person attendees or via Zoom for 
remote attendees.
*Submission Categories*
We seek submissions on themes related to digital intimacies, the love of 
machines, and suggested topics above:

  *
    Individual papers: Traditional academic presentations.
  *
    Pre-constituted panels: Panels featuring 4 papers from researchers
    across at least two different universities.

Contributions are welcome from scholars at all career stages, with HDR 
students and ECRs especially encouraged to apply. We invite perspectives 
from diverse fields, including but not limited to, media studies, 
cultural studies, film studies, sociology, political science, human 
geography, computer science, HCI, psychology, education, and related 
disciplines.
*Registration and Costs*
Presentations and attendance are free of charge. Morning and afternoon 
tea will be provided daily for in-person attendees. To make the event 
freely accessible to all, attendees will be responsible for their own 
lunches. Optional self-funded social events include a dinner on Day 1 
and drinks after the conclusion of the conference on Day 3.
*Submission Guidelines*
Deadline: 29 August 2025
Please submit to this Qualtrics form 
(_https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eUJe1USBgriPAGy 
<https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eUJe1USBgriPAGy>_) with 
the following:

  *
    Individual papers: Abstract (maximum 200 words) and author biography
    (maximum 50 words per person)
  *
    Pre-constituted panels: Panel rationale (maximum 100 words),
    individual abstracts for each paper (maximum 100 words each) and
    speaker biographies (maximum 50 words per person)
  *
    Please clearly indicate whether you will present in person,
    remotely, or are open to either format. All presenters in a
    pre-constituted panel must use the same presentation mode.

Notification of acceptance will be announced by 30 September 2025, at 
which time registration will open.
*Enquiries: *(digitalintimacies.sydneyu /at/ gmail.com)
*Website: *digitalintiamcies11.wordpress.com
*Organisers*: Sam Chan (USyd), Pao-chen Tang (USyd), Qiyuan (Haley) Hu 
(USyd), Tingting Liu (UTS), and Paul Byron (UTS)
*This conference is financially supported by the School of Art, 
Communication and English (SACE) and the Discipline of Film Studies at 
the University of Sydney.*

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