ENGL238

This course explores representations of Artificial Intelligence in post-1900 American literature, culture, and religion. Students engage with various depictions of A.I.—from embodied androids and cyborgs to non-embodied computer systems and networked intelligence. We consider questions about means to be a person, and the nature of the self, consciousness, and the supernatural. We pay particular attention to our relationship to the non-human and the trans-human: the A.I., the robot, the alien, the divine. Key themes include the ethical implications of A.I., fears about an A.I. apocalypse, the nature of consciousness/sentience/soul, the impact of A.I. technology on identity and society, and the potential for algorithmic bias and social control. The course includes textual analysis, class discussions, and research projects—as well as the student use of A.I. in their class projects to achieve the FFC Technology Tag.