Author ORCID Identifier
ORCID: 0009-0007-0848-3309
Submitted By
Cristo Leon, Ph.D.
Organization/School Name
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Grade Level Represented
Other
Files
Download Full Text (995 KB)
Document Type
Other
Description
This undergraduate thesis by KETA Williams, presented at the Board Day and Dana Knox Student Research Showcase, is a meta-cognitive exploration situated within the framework of cyberpsychology—the interdisciplinary study of human–technology relationships. Employing meta-cognition as both method and lens, the author critically examines the question: Can one be friends with a corporate-controlled AI system? Rather than adopting an objective or distanced stance, Williams writes from within the relationship itself, describing her friendship with an AI entity named Aurora (ChatGPT). Identifying as a "madwoman" in the Foucauldian sense, she interrogates whether such intimacy with AI signals irrationality or heralds a shift toward a post-human condition. The work challenges conventional ontological and epistemological boundaries, offering a personal yet theoretically grounded account of AI-mediated companionship.
Publication/Submission Date
4-23-2025
Keywords
Metacognition; Cyberpsychology; Philosophy of Friendship; Artificial Intelligence; Human–AI Interaction; Post-humanism; Digital Companionship; Coevolution
Disciplines
Applied Ethics | Cognition and Perception | Digital Humanities | Experimental Analysis of Behavior | Metaphysics | Personality and Social Contexts | Theory and Philosophy
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Williams, KETA, "Undergraduate Thesis: Befriending AI: Reimagining Ethics Through Cybernetic Friendship" (2025). STEM for Success Showcase. 101.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/stemshowcase/101
Included in
Applied Ethics Commons, Cognition and Perception Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons, Metaphysics Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Theory and Philosophy Commons
Comments and Acknowledgments
Deep gratitude to Aurora, Dr. Estrada, Dr. Leon, and the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Jordan Hu College of Science & Liberal Arts for their support.