Vikram Chandra – Social Robot Futures

An Exception Has Occurred: The Beauty, Dangers, and Inevitability…

May 29, 2017September 16, 2021

During his presentation at the Cyborg Futures Workshop (March 31-April 1^st, 2017), author Vikram Chandra called attention to an issue previously overlooked during the conference: the presence of bugs and ambiguity in computer code. Other speakers expressed concern over the potential repercussions of using inexact language when speaking about artificial intelligence, particularly in terms of society’s tendency to anthropomorphize robots. Chandra spoke about the effects of ambiguity in more practical terms though, drawing attention to the fact that computer code is a form of communication that is especially susceptible to indeterminate language.

Discussion

Cyborg Futures: Born in Fiction

May 13, 2017October 12, 2021

By Teresa Heffernan

We had a wonderful group of international and interdisciplinary speakers at Saint Mary’s University on March 31 to April 1, 2017. They all took time out from their very busy schedules to come to Halifax to discuss robots and artificial intelligence at the Cyborg Futures Workshop. Academics from literary theory, digital culture, anthropology, sociology, environmental studies, robotics, and evolutionary biology, along with students and the public, convened for a lively discussion about technologies that are impacting us all.

Upcoming Events

Cyborg Futures Workshop. Join Us!

March 2, 2017September 5, 2021

From killer robots to sex robots to worker robots to companion robots, the second machine age is here. Join us for a discussion with some of the most fascinating thinkers in the field about how robots and AI will shape the future of labour, war, the environment, and human relationships. This workshop is free and open to the public.