Povilas Godliauskas

Well-Being Psychologist | Therapist | Researcher
godliauskas@gmail.com
Lithuania

About

Povilas Godliauskas is a psychologist, therapist, researcher, and organizational consultant. He has over 10 years of experience in people management, IT recruitment, and counselling and coaching for software professionals and managers. He is also the co-author of the first theory of software engineers’ well-being, published in *Empirical Software Engineering* in 2025, and is recognized as one of the rising leaders in this field.
Talk

Povilas Godliauskas | AI Anxiety: Maintaining Autonomy and Purpose in the Era of Digital Gods

Mental Health, AI Anxiety, Well-being, Psychology
We are entering a new era in which an increasing number of individuals rely on AI chatbots and agents for information, advice, and even emotional support. Furthermore, there is growing discourse around the leaders of AI companies aiming to win the race to create an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent AI “god” that could influence governance and politics. This raises the question of what the role of AI professionals is in this new era, where old gods are being replaced by technological ones. The goal of this presentation is to discuss the most recent data on AI anxiety, AI ambivalence, and related psychological challenges associated with the adoption of AI systems. Povilas Godliauskas will also provide psychological tools and techniques to help attendees maintain purpose and mental health in the face of these new psychological and societal challenges.