Week3: Robotics + Arts
After industrialization, our society develops in an amazing speed. While Robotics gradually change versatile, they also intertwine with arts. Additionally, since Ford put robotics in mass production and assembly lines, robotics became ubiquitous and convenient. However, in his "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," Walter Benjamin argues that the amazing growth of our techniques make[s] it a certainty that profound changes are impending in the ancient craft of the Beautiful.
There are certain merits contained in Benjamin's argument that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art. We can see that originality is rare among the mass production. In the “the Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction," Davis lee also pinpoints that there is no longer a clear conceptual distinction between original and
reproduction in virtually any medium. Moreover, people even show their anxiety and fear in rapid development of technology, especially the artificial intelligence. In “Researchers: Society Must Consider Risks, Potential of Sex Robots,” Joel Hruska also mentions that the uncanny valley is a good reflection, which states our personal affinity for an object rises until the robot hits the point of beginning to look almost human-but not quite. The movie Terminator actually comes from James Cameron's nightmare about a metallic torso holding kitchen knives dragging itself from an explosion.
However, I am inclined to argue that robotics and arts actually reinforce with each other and form a complementary effect. In “What Roboticists Can Learn From Art, and What Artists Can Learn From Robots," Angelia Lim shows
that this kind of harmony can be shown in the robotic statue, Diamandini, of Dr. Mari Velonaki. It employs the aesthetic value of statue but also the movable features of traditional robots, which represents the collaboration of robotics and arts.
Robotics and arts are hotly debated topics in our society. As Dennis Hong said in his TED talk that nobody criticizes anybody's ideas and nobody criticizes any opinion, we should be open to any idea held by different people and develop in a consistent way.
Citation:
that this kind of harmony can be shown in the robotic statue, Diamandini, of Dr. Mari Velonaki. It employs the aesthetic value of statue but also the movable features of traditional robots, which represents the collaboration of robotics and arts.
Robotics and arts are hotly debated topics in our society. As Dennis Hong said in his TED talk that nobody criticizes anybody's ideas and nobody criticizes any opinion, we should be open to any idea held by different people and develop in a consistent way.
Citation:
Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction ...," Edited by Hannah Arendt.
Translated by Harry Zohn, New York: Schocken Books, web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/benjamin.pdf.
Translated by Harry Zohn, New York: Schocken Books, web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/benjamin.pdf.
Davis, Douglas. “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995).”
Leonardo, vol. 28, no. 5, 1995, pp. 381–386. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1576221.
Leonardo, vol. 28, no. 5, 1995, pp. 381–386. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1576221.
Hong, Dennis. “My Seven Species of Robot -- and How We Created Them.” TED,
www.ted.com/talks/dennis_hong_my_seven_species_of_robot#t-824446.
www.ted.com/talks/dennis_hong_my_seven_species_of_robot#t-824446.
Hruska, Joel. “Researchers: Society Must Consider Risks, Potential of Sex Robots.” ExtremeTech, 10 July 2017,
www.extremetech.com/electronics/252129-study-warns-society-must-consider-risks-potential-sex-robots.
www.extremetech.com/electronics/252129-study-warns-society-must-consider-risks-potential-sex-robots.
Lim, Angelica. “What Roboticists Can Learn From Art, and What Artists Can Learn From Robots.”
IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News, IEEE Spectrum, 2 May 2013,
spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/diy/what-roboticists-can-learn-from-art.
IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News, IEEE Spectrum, 2 May 2013,
spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/diy/what-roboticists-can-learn-from-art.
Hi Mingze,
回复删除I totally agree with you on the point that everybody should remain open-minded to any kind of opinions from all kinds of perspectives. There is no absolute right or wrong from philosophical stand point and that is why philosophy can be an area that honors and encourages debate, arguments, and new ideas.
In my opinion, I also think that art and robotics kind of become a merging combination when building a robot require aesthetic skills, creating artwork can also demands robotic equipments such as electronic drawing pad and pencil.
I think the reason that some people think robot cannot coexists with art is that robot does not reflect an originality or creativity that seem to be unique to human beings. Robots, until now, are all created by mankind and it is human who gives robots whatever abilities they have. (like calculations, responding to simple commands, etc). On the other hand, manybe someday, a robot with intrinsic consciousness may appear, and artificial intelligence may trigger further debate and place greater threat to the mankind by that time. But in the end, no one can really predict the future.
Best,
Celine Chen