Week 3: Robotics + Art

 The lectures from this week have really opened my eyes to the ways that technology and art influence one another. I had noticed that technology influenced art in the way that the methods of creating art have changed with developments in cameras, computers and other tools that influence creativity. However, I had not realized that art influenced technology as well, exemplified by Gordan Pask's musical cybernetics system, the music color machine, as discussed in lecture as the first cybernetic art system. This was one of the early cyborg hybrids that accompanied the musical performers to add color and lights that matched the harmony, which was was one of the first major connections between cybernetics and art in history.
Cybernetic Music from http://www.factmag.com/2014/10/01/ica-electronic-compilation-cybernetic-serendipity-music-reissued-on-vinyl/

     However, in pop culture and films, I've noticed that this advanced technology involving robots and artificial intelligence is usually portrayed as the antagonist. In every story that I've seen, the technology, whether it be a robot or some kind of computer system, emerges as an amazing breakthrough in science that everyone is excited about, but slowly the robot develops its own consciousness, turns evil and then it must be destroyed in order to save humanity. Movies such as The Avengers, Eagle Eye, Ex Machina, Transcendence, and the new TV series, West World, show the developments of pushing technology and robots to develop their own consciousness. However, they all display society's response because each one consists of Artificial Intelligence systems that are rejected by society for their invasive nature and in the end, must be demolished because they begin to outsmart the humans. For example, in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man sees his creation of this computer system to be a work of art, but in the end it turns against them and takes the entire Avengers team to destroy because he is unable to control it and it threatens the lives of all people. As Stephen Hawking warned, "Whereas the short-term impact of AI depends on who controls it, the long-term impact depends on whether it can be controlled at all." (Smith "The Next 'Avengers' Movie Might Demonize Artificial Intelligence All Over Again.").
The Avengers: Age of Ultron from Wikipedia

West World from http://www.pelispedia.tv/serie/westworld/
Sources

"Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence." Future of Life Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <https://futureoflife.org/background/benefits-risks-of-artificial-intelligence/>.

Brooks, Rodney. "Robots will invade our lives." Rodney Brooks: Robots will invade our lives | TED Talk | TED.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <https://www.ted.com/talks/rodney_brooks_on_robots>.


 Hanson, David. "Robots that "show emotion"." David Hanson: Robots that "show emotion" | TED Talk | TED.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <https://www.ted.com/talks/david_hanson_robots_that_relate_to_you>.

Lipson, Hod. "Building "self-aware" robots." Hod Lipson: Building "self-aware" robots | TED Talk | TED.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <https://www.ted.com/talks/hod_lipson_builds_self_aware_robots>.

Smith, Dave. "The Next 'Avengers' Movie Might Demonize Artificial Intelligence All Over Again." Business Insider. Business Insider, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <http://www.businessinsider.com/avengers-age-of-ultron-and-artificial-intelligence-2014-10>.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 26, 2017 at 11:38 PM

    Hi,

    I thought it was very interesting how you analyzed how artificial intelligence and robots are portrayed in pop culture and films, which is a huge influence on current social values. As a scientist, I am taught to push the boundaries of what we know and what we can discover. However, the more we investigate the boundaries of artificial intelligence, it is definitely becoming more feared as portrayed through the movies you mentioned. I love how you pointed out, though through all this uncertainty, that art can be developed through technology as in the cybernetic music system.

    ReplyDelete
  2. rachel garciaApril 27, 2017 at 7:53 AM

    I found it interesting how you examined the pop culture and films and how it illustrates robots and artificial intelligence. I also like how you give examples and and explain how the artificial intelligence is reject by society because they outsmart humans.

    ReplyDelete

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