Desire in the Age of AI: What “Her” Reveals about Contemporary Discontent

Why does Spike Jonze’s Her feel so unsettlingly familiar? In this session, Marguerite Gleeson invites us to explore what the film reveals about contemporary discontent: our longing for connection, our dependence on technology, and the challenged boundaries of human desire as we interact with the AI-Chatbot world. As Chatbot technology advances, this is a timely discussion on what we will have to contend with.

Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalytic theory and other contemporary thinkers, we'll consider what happens when human lack and desire encounter artificial intelligence and explore what this tells us about being human today.

The event is open to all and no prior knowledge of Lacan is required—though familiarity with the film Her will enrich your experience (spoilers ahead!).

Marguerite Gleeson is a Lacanian psychoanalyst and researcher exploring how Lacanian theory can help us interpret contemporary cultural phenomena, particularly around the themes of lack, desire, discontent, sexuality, and love. Marguerite, Irish-Mexican, keeps a clinical practice in Madrid, Spain and is pursuing her PhD at Ghent University.

Admission fee: Standard tickets are £10 per person.

Access codes: If cost is a barrier, use the promo code COMMUNITY2025 at checkout for a free place. Tickets are limited.

This event deviates from our normal schedule of the last Thursday of the month and will take place on the last Saturday of the month in Edinburgh, UK. We plan to record this in‑person event and share the recording on our YouTube channel afterwards; however, we’re unfortunately unable to offer a live online or hybrid option for this session. Thank you for your understanding.

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