On February 17-18, the 10th Anniversary International Scientific and Practical Conference, Cybersecurity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Challenges, Ethics, and Well-Being, took place in Moscow. Organized by the Faculty of Psychology at Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, the event was held as part of Safer Runet Week 2026 and brought together around 500 participants.
The conference focused on artificial intelligence, particularly its impact on human life, professional skills, and the upbringing of younger generations, as well as the ways in which people themselves are changing amid the widespread adoption of AI technologies. Speakers emphasized that we are now living in an era of “extended consciousness” and “augmented humanity,” shaped by digital technologies in general and artificial intelligence in particular. In his welcoming remarks, Russian Academy of Education (RAE) member Alexander Asmolov noted that interacting with AI can, to some extent, be viewed as a form of “xenopsychology” – a concept once confined to science fiction.
In his welcoming remarks, Director of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ Andrey Vorobyev also emphasized that the topic of artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly embedded in the digital landscape. Speaking about the events of Safer Runet Week, he noted that AI-related issues consistently arise throughout its program, largely in connection with digital security. He stressed that artificial intelligence is no longer the exclusive domain of elite digital specialists. Education in the development and application of AI technologies is already extending to the level of secondary vocational training. At the same time, despite what he described as AI’s “technological revolutionary nature,” Vorobyev underscored that it is still premature to place artificial intelligence on a par with natural human intelligence. Many challenges, he pointed out, stem from machines’ lack of human-like empathy and their inability to navigate complex moral dilemmas.
The idea of a “technologically enhanced personality” was explained in detail by the conference’s lead organizer, RAE Academician Galina Soldatova. According to her, this concept reflects the growing “fusion” between individuals and digital technologies, as well as their reciprocal influence, particularly the powerful impact of the digital environment on everyday life, worldview, and behavioral patterns. In this emerging landscape, several distinct personality types can be identified. These include “digital centaurs,” who see human-AI collaboration as more effective than either acting alone; “digital donors,” who effectively pay for the benefits of digital services with their personal data; and their opposites – “digital conservatives,” who approach AI with caution and advocate limiting its spread, as well as the more radical “digital isolationists,” who argue that artificial intelligence should be abandoned altogether before it “takes over the world.” As AI continues to evolve and expand, attitudes toward it are shifting from a purely instrumental view to an ecosystem-based approach, in which technology permeates nearly every sphere of human life. According to the expert, digital transformation is also reshaping psychology as a discipline. The Atlas of Psychological Professions of the Future, developed in 2025, suggests that within the next decade around 30 new specializations in psychology will fully take shape – primarily at the intersections of psychology with other domains such as IT, law, and social sciences.
Conference participants also addressed the role of artificial intelligence in education, examining both its advantages and potential risks. Discussions covered AI’s place in human life, the rise of AI-generated “false identities,” the concept of digital identity, and a wide range of related issues.
Safer Runet Week, now in its nineteenth year, remains Russia’s longest-running public awareness and educational initiative dedicated to children’s and family digital safety. Events take place across all regions of the country, officially through February 22, though many activities continue until the end of the month. The event is organized by the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ.
