Artificial Intelligence Through the (Red) Looking Glass: Humankind’s Fears as Mental Projections
Author
Hansen, Jesper
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-06-02
Pages
50
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvorfor kunstig intelligens ofte skildres som fjende i fortællinger, og hvorfor idéen om intelligente computere og robotter kan føles skræmmende. Analysen bruger Murray Smiths teori om sympatistrukturen (hvordan fortællinger leder vores empati) for at vurdere, om vi kan føle sympati med en kunstig skabning, eller om sympatien skabes gennem manipulerende fortællergreb. Den trækker også på Michael Szollosys idé om projektion af selvet (at vi tillægger robotter vores egne træk og motiver) for at forklare, hvad der gør dem urolige at møde. I det omfang det er relevant, inddrages desuden Freuds “det uhyggelige” (den sært urovækkende følelse ved noget næsten menneskeligt), Cynthia A. Freelands begreb om det sublime (blanding af ærefrygt og frygt) og Stephen T. Asmas tanker om robotter i monstrologi (studiet af monstre). Med udgangspunkt i filmene 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ex Machina og Bicentennial Man viser specialet, at det er muligt at skabe sympati for kunstige skabninger. Sympatien kan både opstå gennem troværdige oplysninger om en karakter og gennem fortællergreb, der får os til at sænke paraderne—og bagefter føle os forrådt. Analysen peger også på, at robotter gør os utrygge, fordi de minder os om vores egen sikre død. Endelig viser specialet, at noget af vores robotfrygt udspringer af, at vi projicerer vores egne voldelige tendenser over på dem, så de bliver symboler på det farlige og onde.
This thesis examines why artificial intelligence is so often portrayed as the enemy in stories, and why the idea of intelligent computers and robots can feel frightening. It uses Murray Smith’s theory of the sympathy structure (how narratives steer our empathy) to ask whether we can care about an artificial being or whether that care is produced by manipulative storytelling devices. It also draws on Michael Szollosy’s idea of the projection of the self (how we attribute our own traits and motives to robots) to explain what makes them unsettling. Where relevant, it includes Freud’s “uncanny” (the eerie feeling of something that is almost human), Cynthia A. Freeland’s notion of the sublime (a mix of awe and fear), and Stephen T. Asma’s views on robots within monstrology (the study of monsters). Analyzing the films 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ex Machina, and Bicentennial Man, the thesis shows that it is possible to create sympathy for artificial beings. That sympathy can arise from trustworthy information about a character, but it can also be used to lower our guard and leave us feeling betrayed. The analysis further suggests that robots unsettle us because they remind us of our own certain death. Finally, it argues that part of our fear of robots stems from projecting our own violent tendencies onto them, turning them into symbols of what is dangerous and evil.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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