Abstract
Many recent developments in technological design are aimed towards the 'humanisation' of technology, that is, making technology behave in a way that is more 'intuitive', 'friendly' or 'usable'. This assumes, however, that technology is not in itself human but rather some external antagonistic force or object. Contrary to this, I will defend the suggestion that technology is part of what constitutes humanity as a whole, to the extent of embodying some degree of cognition and consciousness. Looking briefly at some proposed mechanical models of self-consciousness, I consider the question: What functions might self-conscious systems perform?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 45-52 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | AI and Society |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 24 Nov 2006 |