Artificial intelligence and fiction: representations, fears and expectations surrounding technological development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51385/p7wqhj84Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, science fiction, social representationsAbstract
This review article offers an overview of recent reflections on Artificial Intelligence (AI) representations in both written and audiovisual fiction. There are a number of reasons to highlight the importance of this type of study, since it has been shown that representations of technology in general, particularly of AI, have significant and varied impacts, ranging from shaping the directions research takes to influencing public acceptance, raising social concerns, and guiding how these technologies are regulated.
The article surveys research on the influence of AI representations on designers, the public, the fears and expectations commonly depicted. It also has an impact on the ways these representations relate to the issues of each historical moment, and on how fictional portrayals connect with broader social issues such as gender and social inequalities. The representations also create fears regarding scenarios in which technology escapes human control and technological development fulfills humanity’s longing for immortality.
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