Week 3: Robotics + Art

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The industrial revolution was an incredibly influential period both economically and culturally. The era introduced new labor-saving technologies such as mass production, which had various pros and cons. Among such pros were the rapid disbursement of knowledge and other products; on the other hand, it proved to be detrimental for workers in terms of job opportunities and working conditions (Rafferty). It is these problems where the idea of robots derived from, serving as a response to the mechanization of labor (Vesna). 

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

 

Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” talks about the threatened authenticity of art, referring to its detachment from tradition and ritual. The authenticity of art stems from “its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be” (Benjamin). The mechanical reproduction of art jeopardizes this uniqueness because the reproduced art is no longer imbued with this cultural value. This relates to Marx’s theory of alienation, describing the exploitative relationship between laborer and product in a capitalist society: an individual’s labor is driven by profit rather than passion for their craft. This has undoubtedly been exacerbated by the industrial revolution and, of course, mass production. 


Karl Marx, Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1

The Black Mirror episode “Be Right Back” relates to this idea of human essence/authenticity of art being sold as a commodity (Lacerda). In the episode, a woman copes with her grief by using a service that allows her to create and maintain a relationship with an artificial intelligence that looks, sounds, and acts exactly like her late boyfriend. She begins to regret her decision once she uncomfortably notices that the AI is seemingly remiss of flaws and realizes that she will never achieve the true connection they once had. It serves as a satirical message of the dark side of technology, specifically the continued mechanization of various spheres of human life.


Black Mirror - "Be Right Back"



Sources:


Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Lacerda, Ingrid, “Be Right Back: Humans, Artificial Intelligence and Dasein in Black Mirror”, Communication, technologies and development, June 30, 2020, accessed April 16, 2022, http://journals.openedition.org/ctd/3353 

Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. Capital; Critique of Political Economy. C.H. Kerr & Co., 1907.

Rafferty, John P. "The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution". Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt1.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watchv=cRw9_v6w0ew&ab_channel=UCOnline.

“Marxist Theory of Alienation.” Communication Theory, 23 Apr. 2018, https://www.communicationtheory.org/marxist-theory-of-alienation/.

Comments

  1. Aysia DeonApril 17, 2022 at 5:25 PM

    Hello Anna!

    I love your blog post for this week! I completely relate to your comparison between Benjamin and Marx's teachings— there is a clear exploitative relationship between the laborer and the product. As mechanization increases, we will no longer have unique and original products that come from the care of one's craft—rather, we will be left will a surplus of the same product. I loveeee that you mentioned Black Mirror, especially this episode! Such an amazing show that sheds light on the horrors that accompany the digitization of society. Great work!

    ReplyDelete

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