On Frankenstein and the automaton of Saint Albert the Great… or why human beauty is not a matter of robots

Keywords: social robotics, anthropomorphization, uncanny valley, mechanical beauty, availability

Abstract

The field of anthropomorphic social robotics is one of the most interesting territories for contemporary philosophical reflection, since it brings together anthropological, ethical and aesthetic issues. Taking as a starting point the medieval legend of the automaton of St. Albert the Great, this paper points out the risks associated with the robotic mimicry of human being when theoretical assumptions about it are deflationary of its complexity. I first present a summary of the “uncanny valley” phenomenon as an aesthetic response of rejection to those robotic designs that devalue human complexity, formally and behaviorally; then we study the most accepted solutions from an engineering point of view, based on designs of appearance according to an abstract rather than an imitative principle; finally, thinking about an artistic example of robotic performativity, we argue the irreducible character of human beauty and creativity against their attempts at robotic imitation.

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Published
2022-12-30
How to Cite
Pradier Sebastián, A. (2022). On Frankenstein and the automaton of Saint Albert the Great… or why human beauty is not a matter of robots. Cuadernos De Pensamiento, (35), 139-166. https://doi.org/10.51743/cpe.338