Enchanting Robots: Intimacy, Magic, And Technology (social And Cultural Studies Of Robots And Ai)

This book argues that robots are enchanting humans (as potential intimate partners), because humans are enchanting robots (by performing magical thinking), and that these processes are a part of a significant re-enchantment of the “modern” world. As a foundation, the author examines arguments for and against intimate relationships with robots, particularly sex robots and care robots. Moreover, the book provides a consideration of human-robot interactions and philosophical reflections about robots through the lens of magic and magical thinking as well as theoretical and practical re-evaluations of their status and presence. Furthermore, the author discusses the abovementioned issues in the context of disenchantment and re-enchantment of the world, characterizing modernity as a coexistence of these two processes. The book closes with a consideration of future scenarios regarding the meaning of life in the age of rampant automation and the possibility that designing robots becomes a sort of new eugenics as a consequence of recognizing robots as persons. Front Matter ....Pages i-xi Introduction (Maciej Musiał)....Pages 1-9 Robots Enchanting Humans (Maciej Musiał)....Pages 11-62 Humans Enchanting Robots (Maciej Musiał)....Pages 63-113 Disenchanting and Re-enchanting in Modernity (Maciej Musiał)....Pages 115-140 In Lieu of a Conclusion: Where Will We Go from Here? (Maciej Musiał)....Pages 141-154 Back Matter ....Pages 155-159