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DESMA 9 Week 3


Growing up, I developed an interest in robots. To me they were smart, immortal, and efficient beings capable of great feats of strength and intelligence. Movies such as The Iron Giant, and the entire Star Wars franchise further reinforced my perception of robots. This love for robotics lead me to read books written by the great science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke.
Arthur C. Clarke's Most Iconic Work

Hence, I was unsurprised to learn that the modern concept for robots was inspired by a play written by a Czech writer, Karel Capek. In many ways, Sir Clarke had a similar impact on the scientific world as Mr Capek. An apt example would be the artificial intelligence computer named HAL 9000, in Sir Clarke’s book entitled “2001: A Space Odyssey”. In the book and the similarly named movie, HAL 9000 is an on-board computer for a spacecraft, responsible for maintaining ship functions and to act as a companion for human crew. However, due to a series of events, HAL malfunctions and starts to purge the human crew when they try to turn HAL off. Thankfully, Sir Clarke’s fictional character, HAL, did not inspire humans to build a legion of blood thirsty robots. Rather, it resulted in the creation of personal computer secretaries, like Siri or Cortana. In fact, if one were to look closely at the design of both Siri’s and Cortana’s logo design, it looks eerily like HAL 9000 (For our sake, lets hope that the similarities end there). Aside from his contributions to the field of robotics, Sir Clarke also popularized space travel and gave rise to the idea for satellites, space elevators and even the international space station itself. Most importantly, he is credited for coming up with the idea of a Global Positioning System, a tool in which many would agree is invaluable nowadays.
HAL 9000, The Main Antagonist in the Movie 2001: A Space Odyssey

Siri, One of Many Spiritual Successors to HAL 9000
Cortana, One of Many Spiritual Successors to HAL 9000
Thus, it is evident that art can and has inspired robotics. Conversely, is the reverse is also true? While I firmly believe that art and technology are in a symbiotic relationship, Mr. Walter Benjamin is in opposition, as seen from his book entitled “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”. He believes that mechanization results in the loss of authenticity in art, making it stale and cold. Thankfully, his theory does not seem to have withstood the test of time. Despite advancements in mechanization, the art field is still vibrant as ever. In fact, technology has expanded the field in which art can be expressed. Nowadays, art museums no longer only feature paintings or drawings, but a wide variety from interactive exhibits to kinetic sculptures while still featuring the traditional works. Moreover, traditional canvas painting has also not lost its luster, with budding artist learning the craft. Ironically, it is technology that lead to my reading of Mr. Benjamin’s book. Therefore, it would be remiss to consider technology an overall bane to art.

Sources:
"Arthur C. Clarke." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke>.
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.
Warren, Tom. "The story of Cortana, Microsoft's Siri killer." The Verge. N.p., 02 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/2/5570866/cortana-windows-phone-8-1-digital-assistant>.
"The Cost of Conservation and Restoration." Art Business News. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://artbusinessnews.com/2015/12/the-cost-of-conservation-and-restoration/>.
Bosker, Bianca. "SIRI RISING: The Inside Story Of Siri's Origins -- And Why She Could Overshadow The iPhone." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/siri-do-engine-apple-iphone_n_2499165.html>.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 26, 2017 at 12:07 AM

    I thought your reference to "Siri" and "Cortana", popular programs used today, and your comparison to the fictional "HAL 9000" was a very creative and insightful way to prove that robotics are inspired by art. I never thought of Siri when creating this week's blog post, because of the instinctual characteristics I assign "robotics". I would like to know if you agree with Benjamin in that art is not inspired by robots and instead diminishes genuineness.

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    Replies
    1. SZTApril 26, 2017 at 12:34 PM

      I do not agree with Mr. Walter as I believe that science and art build upon each other. A good example of how robotics has inspired art would be in the field of nano-robotics. The idea was first conceived by a graduate student and published by a professor in a paper. As can be seen from almost all recent science-fiction films, nanobots have become an important plot device used to explain all the magical technological advancements they feature. In addition, this sensationalizing of nanobots also brought attention to the nano world we hardly see, resulting in other works of art. The book "Alice in Quantum Land" is testimony. Thus, I do not believe that Mr. Walter is correct to say robotics will diminish the genuineness of art, rather it can and has inspired a new field.

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