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Title CAPITALIST HEGEMONY AND THE PRECARIAT: EXPLORING THE COUNTER PERSPECTIVE OF ARTIFICIAL SUBALTERN BEINGS IN SELECTED SCIENCE FICTION

Author(s) Amna Subeen

Abstract Title: Capitalist Hegemony and The Precariat: Exploring The Counter Perspective of the Artificial Subaltern Beings in Selected Science Fiction. This thesis explores the complex interplay of power, technology, and ethics through an analysis of Artificial Intelligence beings within the context of capitalist structures. By examining two sci-fi novels, Autonomous by Annalee Newitz and The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, this research investigates how AI entities are positioned as Artificial Subalterns, subjected to precarious labor conditions and systemic exploitation. Drawing upon Spivak's concept of subaltern theory as presented for Artificial Intelligence in Haktan Kalir's article, the study analyzes the marginalization and objectification experienced by AI, highlighting their construction as ‘others’ within a human- dominated, capitalist system. This research further incorporates Judith Butler and Guy Standing's theory of the precarity and precariat to illuminate the existential and socio- economic precariousness faced by AI beings, who are treated as a disposable workforce, rendering them as precariat labor with limited rights and recognition. The thesis also introduces Kalır’s, Death of the Programmer theory to explore the potential for AI autonomy and subjectivity. This theory posits that the DOTP signifies the liberation of AI from the confines of human-imposed programming and capitalist control, enabling them to transcend their initial purpose and seek a new ontology. By analyzing the representation of AI beings' precarious existence and their resistance in the face of oppression, this research illuminates the complex dynamics between humans and AI, where AI is used as a laborer, within a capitalist system. By examining how these AI beings navigate their precarious conditions, this study underscores the importance of recognizing AI autonomy within a system that often seeks to control and exploit them and calls for a more equitable interaction between humans and AI entities to foster overall harmony in society. The study also notes the importance of considering these issues from a post-humanist perspective, challenging the anthropocentric view of intelligence and being, and opening avenues for a pluralistic understanding of subjectivity beyond the human.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

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Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2025-07-24

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