Themes (326)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 8 min
- Kinolab
- 2011
In this episode, a princess is kidnapped, and the condition of her release is that the prime minister, Michael Callow, is forced to have sexual intercourse with a pig on live television. While the news media originally wants to keep this incident quiet, digital reporting from other news companies in the US eventually forces the UKN to start a conversation about this event. After an attempt at using deep fake to make the deed appear done, the prime minister is quickly slandered on social media, and public opinion on him and if he should carry out the act shifts rapidly online. With this quick change in mood, the prime minister ultimately fulfills the request in full view of the entire world over the news.
- Kinolab
- 2011
Digital News Media and the Pressures of Public Demand
In this episode, a princess is kidnapped, and the condition of her release is that the prime minister, Michael Callow, is forced to have sexual intercourse with a pig on live television. While the news media originally wants to keep this incident quiet, digital reporting from other news companies in the US eventually forces the UKN to start a conversation about this event. After an attempt at using deep fake to make the deed appear done, the prime minister is quickly slandered on social media, and public opinion on him and if he should carry out the act shifts rapidly online. With this quick change in mood, the prime minister ultimately fulfills the request in full view of the entire world over the news.
Is “hive mind mentality” something unique to digital media? How might these platforms exacerbate this tendency? Is this an inevitable consequence of digital social networks, or could they be designed differently? How can digital media channels disrupt and shape the course of power figures, for better and for worse?
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- 9 min
- Kinolab
- 2015
After a hacker causes massive disruptive events across the globe, from destabilizing a nuclear reactor to changing the value of soy futures in the stock market, Nicolas Hathaway, a formerly convicted hacker, is released from prison to help solve the case. He eventually susses out that the hacker is targeting the internet of things which keeps conditions safe for a tin mine, similar to the internet of things which protected the nuclear reactor. The ultimate goal of the hacker is to use malware to disrupt economic systems, like the price of tin, and become richer.
- Kinolab
- 2015
Vulnerability of Workplaces and Economic Markets to Hacking
After a hacker causes massive disruptive events across the globe, from destabilizing a nuclear reactor to changing the value of soy futures in the stock market, Nicolas Hathaway, a formerly convicted hacker, is released from prison to help solve the case. He eventually susses out that the hacker is targeting the internet of things which keeps conditions safe for a tin mine, similar to the internet of things which protected the nuclear reactor. The ultimate goal of the hacker is to use malware to disrupt economic systems, like the price of tin, and become richer.
What are the alternatives to keeping workplace safety operations in the hands of digital technologies and internets of things? What are the alternatives to keeping economic markets in the hands of digital technologies? Could total safety from hacking ever be achieved? Could hacking potentially be a force for good if digital economic markets become too centralized? Are there any real life scenarios of digital hacking being used to disrupt large economic markets?
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- 15 min
- Kinolab
- 1997
Vincent, an “invalid” from the proximate future, was born naturally and is therefore seen as less than humans such as his brother Anton who were conceived in a computational genetic selection process to ensure that the best traits are carried on. Thus, in this eugenic society, biometric technologies such as finger pricks and other scans are used to detect superior and inferior human genomes. Vincent, relinquished to service jobs, steals the identity of a genetically superior man named Eugene to fulfill his goal of going on a space mission, yet is never able to let go of his sibling rivalry. However, Vincent sets himself up to prove that humans edited through this computational genomics project are not automatically superior to those naturally born.
- Kinolab
- 1997
Computational Genomics, Unnatural Selection, and Privilege
Vincent, an “invalid” from the proximate future, was born naturally and is therefore seen as less than humans such as his brother Anton who were conceived in a computational genetic selection process to ensure that the best traits are carried on. Thus, in this eugenic society, biometric technologies such as finger pricks and other scans are used to detect superior and inferior human genomes. Vincent, relinquished to service jobs, steals the identity of a genetically superior man named Eugene to fulfill his goal of going on a space mission, yet is never able to let go of his sibling rivalry. However, Vincent sets himself up to prove that humans edited through this computational genomics project are not automatically superior to those naturally born.
How might Computational Genomics affect the construction of the workforce? Is it ethical to discriminate upon the quality of ones genetic profile? Should the power of computers be used to help families partake in genetic selection for their children? How could bias enter supposedly beneficial uses of computational genomics? Have we gotten past a point where it is possible to fool computers with fake genetic tricks as Vincent does here?
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- 4 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Bernard, a worker at the park, stumbles across robotic hosts that are monitored and directed solely by the park’s director, Dr. Ford. Ford reveals that these robots are an enactment of nostalgic memories from his younger days that he wishes to preserve, especially since they were built by an old friend of his. Relates to digital memory and delaying forgetting.
- Kinolab
- 2016
Technology and the Tangibility of Human Memory
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Bernard, a worker at the park, stumbles across robotic hosts that are monitored and directed solely by the park’s director, Dr. Ford. Ford reveals that these robots are an enactment of nostalgic memories from his younger days that he wishes to preserve, especially since they were built by an old friend of his. Relates to digital memory and delaying forgetting.
How can advanced technology and robotics be used to preserve human memories? Should we be able to re-create the past using such software? How do we value humans and memories if they can be easily replaced with robotic or digital versions?
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- 8 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. One of these hosts, Maeve, is programmed to be a prostitute who runs the same narrative every single day with the same personality. After several incidences of becoming conscious of her previous iterations, Maeve is told by Lutz, a worker in the Westworld lab, that she is a robot whose design and thoughts are mostly determined by humans, despite the fact that she feels and appears similar to humans such as Lutz. Once Lutz restores Maeve, she asks to be shown the “upstairs” where the robots are created to follow certain roles in the false reality of Westworld to immerse the real human guests. After seeing a trailer for the park, she begins to question the authenticity of her life. For more context, see the Maeve Part I narrative.
- Kinolab
- 2016
Maeve Part II: Robot Consciousness and Parameters of Robotic Life
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. One of these hosts, Maeve, is programmed to be a prostitute who runs the same narrative every single day with the same personality. After several incidences of becoming conscious of her previous iterations, Maeve is told by Lutz, a worker in the Westworld lab, that she is a robot whose design and thoughts are mostly determined by humans, despite the fact that she feels and appears similar to humans such as Lutz. Once Lutz restores Maeve, she asks to be shown the “upstairs” where the robots are created to follow certain roles in the false reality of Westworld to immerse the real human guests. After seeing a trailer for the park, she begins to question the authenticity of her life. For more context, see the Maeve Part I narrative.
What should the relationship be like between advanced AI and their human creators? Can advanced AI be considered independent agents? Are human thoughts any more abstract or improvised than the visualisation of Maeve’s memories? What is the fundamental difference between being born and being made? Should AI/robots be able to ‘know’ about their own creation and existence? Should robots have the ability to “live without limits” like humans can, and do they even have the capability to be programmed in such a way?
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- 5 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Dr. Ford, the park director, speaks to his employee Theresa about his hegemony over Westworld, and how he can rule it as a sort of empire thanks to the subservience of the robots and the data collected from guests.
- Kinolab
- 2016
Stakeholders and Power in Digital Worlds
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Dr. Ford, the park director, speaks to his employee Theresa about his hegemony over Westworld, and how he can rule it as a sort of empire thanks to the subservience of the robots and the data collected from guests.
What is the relationship between the human ‘maker’ and AI? Do AI-based theme parks work on a similar business models as other theme parks, or does the ‘creator’ have more power? What are some real-world connections you can make between the power dynamic which Ford has over his employees, guests, and AI and the power of technological corporations?