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Title REVISITING TECHNOPHOBIA: A STUDY OF POST-HUMAN ABSURDITY IN CONTEMPORARY SPECULATIVE FICTION

Author(s) ABU BAKKAR

Abstract Title: Revisiting Technophobia: A Study of Post-Human Absurdity in Contemporary Speculative Fiction This thesis analyses the confluence of artificial intelligence (AI) consciousness and human existentialism, through the lens of Absurdism and Integration Information Theory. It contends with the prevailing anxieties associated with AI, proposing that such trepidations are less a reflection on the technological innovation itself and more a manifestation of a profound existential dread deeply ingrained in absurdism. This thesis challenges the primacy of human centrality and the concept of an inherent divine essence within humanity. Through a meticulous examination of the primary texts, Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara And The Sun and Rosa Montero's Tears In Rain, in conjunction with the theoretical underpinnings of Integrated Information Theory (IIT) as postulated by Tononi and Koch, this thesis offers a sophisticated exploration of AI consciousness. Integrated Information Theory, with its scientific foundation, supports the plausibility of consciousness in AI, suggesting a potential bridging of the gap between human and artificial beings. This study posits that AI, with its intricate emotional and existential characteristics, reflects Albert Camus's existential reflections on the absurdity of existence, thus redefining the parameters of consciousness and being. The narrative arcs of AI protagonists, Klara and Bruna Husky provide profound insights into the evolving dynamics of human-AI interactions, offering a new lens through which to view our existential concerns and the future of AI in a world steeped in absurdism.

Type Thesis/Dissertation MS

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2024-06-27

Subject Literature

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