Artificial Intelligence, Emotions and Belonging

Obregon Diaz, Carlos Federico (2026): Artificial Intelligence, Emotions and Belonging.

Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical framework integrating artificial intelligence (AI), institutional economics, and the concept of belonging. It argues that AI, while representing a major technological innovation, lacks autonomous agency because it is not grounded in biological evolution or emotional structures. As a result, its economic and social effects depend on institutional configurations and patterns of participation. The paper analyzes the implications of AI for labor markets, income distribution, and social cohesion, emphasizing the role of middle-class formation and effective participation in sustaining stable development paths. It proposes that AI can either reinforce exclusionary equilibria or support inclusive growth depending on institutional design. The framework contributes to development theory and political economy by incorporating belonging as a foundational determinant of economic outcomes.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Philosophy of Belonging; Emotions; Human Intelligence; Social Ontology; Institutional Economics; Economy of Belonging; Middle Class; Technological Change; Automation; Labor Markets; Inequality; Power and Domination; Evolutionary Psychology; Digital Capitalism; AI Ethics; Social Belonging; Development Economics; Political Economy; Affective Simulation
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D0 - General > D02 - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact; D - Microeconomics > D9 - Intertemporal Choice > D91 - Intertemporal Household Choice ; Life Cycle Models and Saving; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty > I31 - General Welfare, Well-Being; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J24 - Human Capital ; Skills ; Occupational Choice ; Labor Productivity; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J3 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs > J31 - Wage Level and Structure ; Wage Differentials; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O33 - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences ; Diffusion Processes; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O4 - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity > O40 - General; P - Economic Systems > P1 - Capitalist Systems > P16 - Political Economy

References

Works by Carlos Federico Obregón Díaz • Obregón Díaz, C. F. (1982-2025). The Complete Works. Amazon. ResearchGate. Academia.edu. AI, transhumanism and philosophy of mind • Bostrom, N. (2014). Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford University Press. • Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. Putnam. • Dreyfus, H. L. (1972). What Computers Can’t Do. Harper & Row. • Kurzweil, R. (2005). The Singularity Is Near. Viking. • Searle, J. R. (1980). Minds, brains, and programs. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(3), 417–457. Social critique and digital capitalism • Foucault, M. (1975). Surveiller et punir. Gallimard. • Han, B.-C. (2017). Psychopolitik. Matthes & Seitz. • Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. PublicAffairs. Economy, institutions and work • Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The Second Machine Age. W. W. Norton. • Frey, C. B., & Osborne, M. A. (2017). The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 114, 254–280. • North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press. • Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.