Computer Love

From Robo Culture Wiki

Revision as of 20:20, 30 April 2008 (edit) ArmandoAlfaro (Talk | contribs) ← Previous diff		Revision as of 20:26, 30 April 2008 (edit) (undo) ArmandoAlfaro (Talk | contribs) Next diff →
Line 19:		Line 19:
	It is often said that we depend on technology too much, as it is such a necessary part of our everyday lives, and it could very well be that an emotional attachment to that technology could be formed as a result of that dependency.		It is often said that we depend on technology too much, as it is such a necessary part of our everyday lives, and it could very well be that an emotional attachment to that technology could be formed as a result of that dependency.
		+	It is stated in Kate Bush's song that the narrator turn to her computer for 'deeper understanding' as a result of being 'lonely and lost' because of the 'coldness' of people. This points to another recurring issue in roboculture: are humans becoming more 'machine-like' and machines becoming more 'human-like' as time goes on?

---

Revision as of 20:26, 30 April 2008

Though German techno group Kraftwerk's 1981 single 'Computer Love,' from their Computer World album, sounds dated (and yes, Coldplay did use the sample for their 2006 single 'Talk'), it makes very explicit a recurring motif in science-fiction and roboculture narratives, about the capacity for machines to feel emotions like love in the same way humans do (though Kraftwerk's song is more about a 'love' between humans and machines).

More often than not, questions about how 'machine-like' humans are, and how 'human-like' machines are, tend to be asked in regards to thought and thinking. Because thinking is seen as a rational act, it is sometimes assumed that machines would be able to think in the same way as humans, as it is considered a process that can be easily measured. However, perhaps because emotions are considered to be 'irrational,' being able to feel is not an atribute that is often assigned to machines - how many times is someone said to be 'cold and robotic' if they behave in a way that does not show compassion or sympathy? The theme of machines that can 'feel,' let alone feel emotions like love, is present in many popular culture texts, including films like Robocop, Blade Runner and, perhaps most explicitly, Artificial Intelligence: A.I., a film for which the tagline, "His love is real, but he is not," outlined the main character's (a cyborg) ordeal.

Musicians have often included themes of machines that can feel in their songs. Like Kraftwerk's 'Computer Love', Kate Bush's 'Deeper Understanding,' from her 1989 album The Sensual World, deals with a person attempting to connect on a 'deeper' level with a machine. Yes, like 'Computer Love' 'Deeper Understanding' can also be said to sound dated (ie. the lyric "I press Execute"), and the conversation taking place between Kate Bush (presumably) and her computer might be slightly humourous, but it does bring up questions about the relationship between humans and machines, in lyrics like:

"As the people here grow colder

I turn to my computer

And spend my evenings with it

Like a friend."

Written before the advent of the internet, without even taking into consideration sites like MSN and Facebook, the lyrics from 'Deeper Understanding' are part of a long history of technology centred narratives about how emotionally attached to machines and computers human beings might become in the future.

It is often said that we depend on technology too much, as it is such a necessary part of our everyday lives, and it could very well be that an emotional attachment to that technology could be formed as a result of that dependency. It is stated in Kate Bush's song that the narrator turn to her computer for 'deeper understanding' as a result of being 'lonely and lost' because of the 'coldness' of people. This points to another recurring issue in roboculture: are humans becoming more 'machine-like' and machines becoming more 'human-like' as time goes on?