2. ‘The machine/ organism relationships are obsolete, unnecessary’ writes Haraway. In what ways have our relations to machines been theorized?
Source 1
Sebastian Thrun (2004) ‘Towards a framework for Human-Robot Interaction’
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.92.7300&rep=rep1&type=pdf (accessed on 14 March 2011)
The author has pointed out why robots are different from other devices that robots are autonomy while devices like home appliances are not. The field of robotics has covered the system of how the robots are empowered the ability to react to questions and some situations and therefore different techniques used to enhance reactions are also inputted. And that is why the autonomy of robots enhances different interfaces and interaction with humans.
A brief understanding on robotics is essential to help us familiarize the interaction between the two. Before a deep analysis of the interaction interfaces, this article enhances us knowledge of robotics and discover how significant robotics is when approaching the issue of social interaction. There are three kinds of basic robots introduced in the article which are industrial robot, professional service robot and personal service robot while all of them require different autonomy and interfaces.
The author finally concludes that robotics is changing time by time that interaction between humans and robots can be more advanced by technology and would be a primary concern to the up – rising trend of production of robots.
Source 2
Machiko, Kusahara (2001) ‘The Art of Creating Subjective Reality: An Analysis of Japanese Digital Pets’ http://browse.reticular.info/index.php?fpp=100&did=6-0-4&fid=1&gid=2 (accessed 15 March 2011)
The most obvious relationship between human and machines would be human and a digital pet. The author analyzed the digital pets invented and described the trend of playing digital pets in Japan. One of the popular digital pets is tamagotchis. Japanese has the sense of artificial entertaining and created the pets with its advanced technology. For those who own a digital pet would like to take care of it and therefore an attachment with the pet has been developed. This can be called as “subjective reality” that it’s not necessarily a reality but a ‘virtual reality’.
The author stated that “these systems involve sense of reality, manners of communication, and ways which we see other life – forms” that the systems of artificial pets originally mainly focus on simulating the reality but this led to another issue about cyborg. Once we are attached with the technology, we have to cyborgize to be attached with it. Or else, you cannot follow the pace of the advanced world and lag behind forever. This can lead us to re – think the significance of caring them once we have feelings on the relationships on whether it is authentic or not.
Source 3
Sueur, C ‘Man or Machine: Cyborgs in Japanese Cinema’ http://www.filmfortress.com/essays/cyborgs_essay/ (accessed 15 March 2011)
Japan is one of the most advanced countries in terms of technology inventions. The author has raised a concept of “second – nature” that the use of technology in japan has driven vigorously and almost become an extension of the human body. They relies on technology in every single minutes like using smart phones for not only calling or texting somebody but also easy electronic payments like octopus card in Hong Kong and playing apps.
Therefore, “What happens when the line between man and machine is erased completely and when does a man cease to be a man and become a machine?” asked the Japanese as the boundaries of human and machines are kind of blurring and nearly invisible. The author wrote this article to raise a concern of the blurring of or complex relationship between human and machines/ technology nowadays. There are some Japanese cult movies listed as examples to explain the blurring effect and as a result of human being a strange, complex and confused identity, “cyborg”. The author concluded with a point of “duality of character” that humans are finally living with dual roles as boundaries are dissolving - there would be no visible separation between organisms and machines.
Source 4
Verdoux, Philippe (2010) ‘(Post) Human-Technology Relations’ http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/verdoux20100329/ (accessed 15 March 2011)
The article written from Verdoux has discussed the concept of post – humans and the relations between humans and technology in terms of current and future aspects by listing different philosophers’ perspectives. He first introduced two approaches to the issue which is classified into ‘subjective’ and ‘objective’ point of view while Idle’s four – way typology can explain the relations which are embodiment, hermeneutics, alterity and background. Then, another philosopher Verbeek has further elaborated the four – way typology and suggested the term “cyborg intentionality” that humans are driven by the advanced technology and always intentionally demanded machines and technology in daily lives.
On the other hand, he brings out an example of plastic surgery to explain technological modification that technology can be part of human. It is no wonder that technology should be visible in front of humans which can be “materially or functionally” human parts. He elaborated this by concepts of extensions, substitutions and enhancements in the example. Also, he raised an argument of differences between post – humans and cyborgs. The post – humans can overcome some limitations in the future which cannot be solved by humans in the present while cyborgization is one of the process to become a post – human. Cyborgization is a process which requires humans to mediate our perceptions and transform body minds to hybrid states of “natural” and “artificial” and produces brand new intentions. Those so called intentions and relying on technology definitely dissolve the boundaries of human and technology.
Source 5
PJ Rey ‘A brief Reflection on Donna Haraway’ http://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2010/11/11/a-brief-reflection-on-donna-haraway/ (accessed 16 March 2011)
This is a brief reflection on Donna Haraway’s Cyborg theory by the author, Rey. Haraway has foreseen the physical limitations of humans and therefore, to break through restrictions through concept of cyborgs and this has changed the relationship between humans and machines and eventually the social condition among sexes.
The author raised an idea of “post – humanism” which is also discussed in Haraway’s cyborg theory. He claimed that “post – humans” is only a term describing “humans” in which “humans” is already not sufficient to describe current human beings now but this is a concept which is always misunderstood by people that “post – humans” are something else of other species or creature and misled to the word “cyborgs”.
On the other hand, Rey has reinforced Haraway’s idea that use and invention of technology is both an oppoirtunity and a danger. Advanced technologies bring us many benefits but at the same moment blur the boundaries between the two. The phenomenon cannot be determined as positive or negative. It is the argument of “humans control machines” or “humans are controlled by machines, which is to say humans have become cyborgs eventually” or simply a fight between humans and cyborgs.
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