Sophia Robot: Post Human Being

David Hansons robots are performative expressions of our cultural moment, serving as a paradigm for the evolution of humanoid social robots. Sophia, Hansons most advanced robot, anticipates the future as she articulates the mythic pattern, narrative, anxieties, and hopes as old as humanity. The author examines social robots as performance media and events, as characters evolving as post-human narratives of technological beings.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 370 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

David Hanson's robots are explored in this book as a performative expression of our cultural moment, representing the evolution of humanoid social robots. Mechanical beings have captivated the human imagination since ancient times, and now they are a prominent feature in pop culture, embodying both the pinnacle of technological achievement and the fear of what lies ahead. Sophia, Hanson's most advanced robot, exemplifies this duality as she embodies the mythic pattern, narrative, anxieties, and hopes that have been a part of human civilization since its inception. With her face inspired by Queen Nefertiti and Audrey Hepburn, Sophia is a cipher, avatar, and turning point that brings humanity and technology closer to the emergence of a post-human species. The author, a transdisciplinary artist, scholar, and educator, works internationally in experimental performance, indigenous performance (ritual, shamanism), and social robotics. Hanson's robots and Sophia are examined as performance media and events, with the characters evolving as post-human narratives of technological beings. The complex and collaborative relationships between social robots, technology, AI, performance, anthropology, mythology, psychology, sociology, popular culture, social media, politics, and economics are explored.

Weight: 532g
Dimension: 228 x 153 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032454108