Peter Asaro
MIND CHILDREN & LOVE MACHINES [engl.]
The ability of biological life forms to procreate and reproduce their species is often considered a characteristic of life. In contrast, the “undead” may seem to be alive but they do not practice traditional reproduction. However, for some time now human kind has been producing mechanical creatures, automata and robots which have changed our very notion of “life”. Recently speculation has grown that machines themselves could soon in fact be able to lead a self-reproducing existence. According to the aforementioned criterion, they would then be “living beings”. The robotic researcher Hans Moravec even takes the view that these robots, as our true “brainchild”, represent the next stage of evolution. The media theorist Peter Asaro showed sections of his documentary Love Machine, a film that takes up these theses.
Peter Asaro is professor of media studies and film at the New School University in New York City. His work examines the interfaces between science, technology, and media, and is currently focused on the social dimensions of lethal robotics. In his film Love Machine he examines the development of robots designed to enter human social relations of love, caring and friendship and their potential to supplant human biological reproduction. www.peterasaro.org