Archives of Sexual Behavior - Call for Special Section Submissions on Artificial Intelligence and Sexuality (Guest Editors: Nicola Döring, Laura Vowels, Matthew Vowels, Tiffany Marcantonio)
Archives of Sexual Behavior (Editor-in-Chief, Ken Zucker, Ph.D.) invites manuscripts for a Special Section focused on the intersection between artificial intelligence (AI) and sexuality. With the release of the text-generating conversational agent ChatGPT to the public in November 2022, AI has sparked both fascination and fear. AI, which involves simulating human intelligence processes with computer systems, is not a new technology; it has been developed and researched since the 1950s. However, it is the generative AI tools that demonstrate the power and potential of the technology with unprecedented clarity to the broader public. Beyond text generation, AI tools now include image, video, and music generation, with applications in areas such as education, entertainment, and healthcare.
Not surprisingly, AI is also being used for various sexual purposes: Some people seek sexual health information from tools like ChatGPT, raising important questions about the reliability and accuracy of those answers. Others are turning to AI-enabled counseling and therapy bots, raising questions about their efficacy and outcomes as well as potential issues around risk and safety. In addition, people are engaging in romantic and sexual interactions with AI-enabled conversational bots and avatars, sparking curiosity about the psychological impact of such interactions. Some people use tools like ChatGPT to craft messages to communicate with their dating or relationship partners, with unknown consequences for communication quality, trust, and intimacy. The production and distribution of AI-generated erotica and pornography demonstrates the range and type of sexual fantasies that people are willing to visualize and consume, but also raises complex legal and ethical questions that require thorough examination.
The goal of this Special Section is to explore the multifaceted intersections between artificial intelligence and sexuality through rigorous empirical research. Moving beyond the technology hype cycle and avoiding polarized debates about whether AI is beneficial or detrimental to human sexuality per se, we seek work that addresses critical and nuanced “W-questions”: Who is using (or not using) AI for sexual purposes in different social and societal contexts? Why, when, with whom, and how do they use it? What are the self-perceived and/or objectively measured effects? We also welcome papers that demonstrate how AI technology can advance the methodology of sex research (e.g., through computational analysis of big data). We particularly invite interdisciplinary papers in which sex researchers collaborate with AI experts from fields such as computer science to deepen our understanding of the current state and potential future of sexuality in an increasingly AI-enabled digital age.
The Special Section will include original papers (computational, quantitative, qualitative, mixed-, and Indigenous methods), brief reports, and review articles.
All submitted manuscripts will undergo the journal’s regular peer review process. An initial screening will be conducted by the four Guest Editors, and manuscripts that closely fit the central themes of the Special Section will be sent out for masked peer review. An invitation to submit a full manuscript is not a guarantee of acceptance or publication.
Artificial Intelligence and Sexuality
Call for papers to appear in the Special Section of Archives of Sexual Behavior (Guest Editors: Nicola Döring, Laura Vowels, Matthew Vowels, and Tiffany Marcantonio)
Publication Timeline:
November 15, 2024 (abstracts must be submitted to receive preliminary feedback for manuscripts to be considered for review)
December 15, 2024 (potential authors notified whether their full paper would be considered for review)
June 1, 2025 full paper submission deadline
August 1, 2025 first stage peer review decision letters
September 1, 2025 paper revisions due
November 15, 2025 final decisions
Note: Papers accepted for publication will go online first, prior to the publication of the Special Section print issue.
Prospective authors should submit a brief (1-2 page) pre-proposal (abstract) that details their contribution’s emphasis on artificial intelligence and sexuality, including a brief outline of their research methodology and the implications of their work for future research, policy and/or practice.
Note: By submitting a pre-proposal, prospective authors (only those with PhD/Dr) agree to serve as peer reviewers for the Special Section. In this way, we can ensure that all submissions receive rapid and substantive feedback from peers in the field.
Pre-proposals and any inquiries regarding topic or scope for the Special Section can be sent to the corresponding Guest Editor: Nicola Döring (nicola.doering@tu-ilmenau.de).