Topic Editors
The Synthetic Society: Processes and Products
Topic Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Topic explores the emerging concept of the synthetic society (Van der Sloot, 2024; Wiederhold, 2025), a contemporary socio-technological configuration in which advanced technologies reproduce—and transform—biological, cognitive, and social processes. From artificial intelligence simulating human reasoning to lab-grown food, synthetic environments, and bioengineered bodies, the synthetic society redefines the boundaries between nature, culture, and technology. This Topic aims to investigate how such developments impact identity, social relationships, consumer behavior, and the human condition more broadly.
We welcome theoretical and empirical contributions on topics including synthetic relationships (e.g., dating apps, AI companions), synthetic environments (e.g., social networks, virtual and augmented environments), synthetic food (e.g., cultivated meat, precision fermentation), synthetic bodies (e.g., bio-technological hybridation, body augmentation, synthetic prosthetics), synthetic intelligence (e.g., ethical AI, algorithmic bias), and synthetic futures (e.g., singularity, control, trans-human scenarios). The complexity of this topic demands consideration from multiple perspectives within the social sciences; therefore, contributions from scholars across diverse disciplines and fields are encouraged.
Dr. Francesco La Barbera
Dr. Roberta Riverso
Topic Editors
Keywords
- artificial intelligence
- virtual environment
- augmented reality
- digital identity
- AI ethics
- synthetic food
- trans-humanism
- science and technology studies
- reproduction of inequalities
- dark pattern
- algorithmic bias
- singularity
- welfare and technology
- value alignment
- governance and rules
Participating Journals
| Journal Name | Impact Factor | CiteScore | Launched Year | First Decision (median) | APC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AI
|
5.0 | 6.9 | 2020 | 20.7 Days | CHF 1600 | Submit |
Nutrients
|
5.0 | 9.1 | 2009 | 12.9 Days | CHF 2900 | Submit |
Social Sciences
|
1.7 | 3.1 | 2012 | 34.5 Days | CHF 1800 | Submit |
Behavioral Sciences
|
2.5 | 3.1 | 2011 | 29.6 Days | CHF 2200 | Submit |
Future Internet
|
3.6 | 8.3 | 2009 | 17 Days | CHF 1600 | Submit |
Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.
MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:
- Share your research immediately: disseminate your ideas prior to publication and establish priority for your work.
- Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
- Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
- Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
- Ensure broad indexing: Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.
