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Titel
7
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Robots and AI - Sci-Fi
In this unit students explore some of the science fiction tropes around robots and AI. We begin by looking at actual robots from Boston Dynamics and reading a statement about AI risks signed by a large number of prominent people in order to begin thinking about the line between science fiction and fact. We then look at an example of the classic robot apocalypse trope, and though and excerpt from the novel Frankenstein we explore a number of the themes associated with the genre, such as the fear of being replaced, playing god and the responsibility the maker has for his or her creation. We then read the novel “All Systems Red” by Martha Wells where grappling with the substantial text is guided by looking for genre traits and mapping the conflicts and structure of the novel. We note how it explores the master/slave relationship, while adding the themes of choice, human connection and dystopic elements into the mix, allowing the novel to develop its existential themes in tandem with its social criticism of the present. Finally, students explore how the idea of a human made intelligence is treated in film and song lyrics, before we end on a reversal of the main trope with a short text about robotic aliens that react to biological humans with disgust and fear.
Key words include:
Master/slave relationship, empathy, human, connection, fear of being replaced, choice, themes, dystopic elements, three-act structure, internal conflict, external conflict, turning point, first person narrator, narrative tense, robot, artificial intelligence, apocalypse, metaphor, symbolism, the singularity, uploading, order-chaos-order, world building, setting
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