Homo
Sapiens, part of the family Hominidae, of the order Primates, of the Phylum
Chordata, of the Kingdom, Animalia. Humans are a species that have so much in
common with the rest of the living world, and yet there is so much that sets us
apart from everything else. The ability for mankind to reflect upon their own
behavior is an attribute that appears to be unique to our species, that and the
ability to ask the ever-important question that continues to drive human
curiosity and innovation: why? While the biological classification of humans is
scientific and concrete, our need for social interaction drives us to find
others like ourselves, and if we cannot find them, we create them. AI is
becoming more advanced every day, and while it’s currently best used to solve
complex problems, it’s also starting to be used to help keep people company. If
AI continues to grow, gaining the ability to think and potentially even experience
emotion, is it possible for it to be considered “human” from a philosophical
standpoint?
Replicants
are often seen as sub-human by the population in Blade Runner, despite the fact
the corporation that creates them holds the motto “more human than human.” What
if there was no Voight Kampff test to tell the difference between a human with
an experienced emotional response, versus a Replicant, who’s emotions are new.
A Replicant’s only desire, just like that of a human is to live, so what if a
humanoid AI presented with a will to live, and expressed emotion, if it’s done
nothing wrong, is it considered too human to kill?
Blade
Runner depicts a world where robotics and AI are so advanced that the visual
differences between human and robot have completely vanished. Using the movie as a lens to look at what
little can separate us from one another, the issue of what it means to be human
is explored throughout the film. The seeming immorality of Replicants who are
constantly hunted is examined near the beginning of the movie, but as it
progresses, the sins of the main character are almost as prevalent as those of
the Replicants he’s trying to kill, and ultimately his life is spared by them.
Using these events, I’m constructing a story that should blur the lines between
human and highly advanced AI. Even if they are artificial, if a being is
capable of exercising free will, are they so different from us?
Throughout
history, humanity has been extremely selective with whom it considers to be worthy
of certain rights. African Americans, women, homosexuals and transgenders, the
rights of minorities have been overlooked or outright stripped in our past, despite
being the same species. Is there a chance that we could gain a deeper
understanding of ourselves and our ability to accept others for who they are by
accepting something we created as one of our own? This is the underlying goal
of my work, acceptance and understanding.
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