Category: Mechanical Engineering

Finding the Ghost in the Machine: A Look at AI in ‘Overwatch’, by Hann Yee Son (Acland Prize 2017)

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Still from Overwatch

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.” – Stephen Hawking

This sentiment, this anxiety over a posthuman future where we are surpassed by intelligent machines, is echoed by some of the most brilliant minds of our time. It permeates through popular culture in almost all forms of media – in our literature, our films and our games.

While the underlying fear is still very much present, the dystopian apocalyptic visions of the future have slowly been replaced with a much more nuanced look: at the turning point; the moment when the line between man and machine is blurred. What does it really mean for a machine to be intelligent? Can we create consciousness? Can a machine have a ‘soul’?

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Bogobiri House: Authentically Nigerian or Commodity for Europeans? by Tomisin Abiona

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Bogobiri House

Bogobiri House is a boutique art hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, created to promote African art and provide an authentic African experience. The Lagos state government has shown increased efforts to promote the tourism industry over the last few years, with advertising campaigns aimed at Europeans, in the hope of emulating the success of other countries such as Dubai.
But is Bogobiri House merely a commodity for Europeans, or authentically Nigerian? Is it a product of a capitalist society looking to commodify African culture to a European audience? This video essay performs an intersectional analysis of Bogobiri House with an emphasis on post-colonial studies.
To view the video: download the PowerPoint slides and select Play.

BOGOBIRIESSAY-TomisinAbiona

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