The essay prompt is: Does Samantha in the movie Her represent A.I. or is she just a program? Is Samantha just a software program, or does she represent the next stage of human evolution? Please debate the issue of A.I. and transhuman values by referring to the ideas of John Searle and Nick Bostrom.*
*The readings for the class you should include are: John R. Searle, “The Myth of the Computer,” and Nick Bostrom “Transhuman Values.”
Here is a link to two Ted Talks by Nick Bostrom on End of Humanity and Artificial Intelligence.
Nick Bostrom: Ted Talk: End of Humanity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Nf3TcMiHo
Nick Bostrom: What happens when our computers get smarter than we are? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnT1xgZgkpk
Please make sure your essay has a title, your name is on it, there is a cover page and you do proper citations.
Here is the grading rubric I will use:
A project: Papers in this range demonstrate a thorough and exceptional understanding of the movie and the philosophy behind artificial intelligence and transhumanism. An A essay shows originality, and goes well beyond the partial understandings achieved in class discussions. There is discussion of Searle and Bostrom, both authors are quoted and discussed. An A essay gives insights to the readings and movie Her that surprise me, and is able to focus on ideas that go overlooked. The essay uses quotations properly and quotations from reading are often closely woven into essay. In the best A papers, the writer is (sometimes self-consciously) working not to be simplistic or reductive.