Psychology and existential vacuum: the lack of meaning in the era of artificial intelligence

Abstract

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked ethical, social, and psychological debates, particularly concerning the risk of profession extinction and the consequent impact on human existential meaning. This study aims to analyze, from a phenomenological and logotherapeutic perspective, the effects of technological advancement on existential emptiness and psychological suffering in contemporary society. The methodology was based on a narrative review, supported by scientific literature, classical works of existential psychology, as well as journalistic articles published between 2010 and 2023. The results indicate that technological evolution, although inevitable and necessary for human progress, generates increased job insecurity, anticipatory anxiety, and psychological vulnerability associated with the risk of mass unemployment. It was also found that work, as a source of meaning, undergoes disruptions that may trigger existential frustrations and noogenic neuroses. It is concluded that adaptation is an essential condition for coping with the effects of technology, with logotherapy being a key resource for reframing suffering and fostering self-transcendence, thus transforming the challenge of existential emptiness into an opportunity for human growth.