51吃瓜网

顿补迟别:听Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
Hours:听6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
尝辞肠补迟颈辞苍:听51吃瓜网Downtown Campus,听Leacock Building, room 110.听.

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This event is open to the public.

A shared resources site for Anthropos Technicus readings and other resources has been set up on the Discord app at听. Please join us!!

Series Description听

This series will delve into the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies that call into question conventional distinctions between human beings and machines. By exploring thought-provoking books and films, we aim to foster engaging discussions and critical thought about the impact of technology on our lives. Each session will focus on a specific work, using it as a springboard to discuss contemporary issues and concerns.听

Session 5: Blade Runner - More Human than Human?

Overview:听Given that the summer season has started, our discussions will take their cue from relevant, critically acclaimed films.听

Ridley Scott鈥檚 Blade Runner听(1982 theatrical release) reimagines Philip K. Dick鈥檚 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) as a neo-noir meditation on humanity, the ethical and metaphysical status of humanoids (鈥渞eplicants鈥�), and the role of memory in the formation of human and personal identity. In this session, we鈥檒l discuss the film鈥檚 exploration of AI ethics, corporate power and hubris, and what it means to be 鈥渉uman.鈥澨�

Discussion Points:

• Humanity vs. Artificial Life: Can听(should?) replicants, with their emotions and desires, claim personhood?
• Ethics of Creation: What responsibilities do creators (like Tyrell) owe to their creations?
• Legacy of听Frankenstein: How does听Blade Runner听reinterpret Shelley鈥檚 themes of hubris and abandonment?
• Modern Relevance: Parallels to AI rights,听animal rights,听deepfakes, and corporate control over technology.
• Visual Storytelling: The film鈥檚 cyberpunk aesthetic and its commentary on urbanization/climate collapse.

Recommended Materials:

• Watch听Blade Runner: The Final Cut听(2007)
• Optional reading:听Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?听(1968)听by Philip K. Dick

NOTE: Please be aware that the film contains some violent scenes that some viewers may find disturbing.

Why Attend?

• Debate the moral responsibilities of creators toward their 鈥渃reatures.鈥�
• Explore how听Blade Runner鈥檚 dystopian 2019 mirrors our tech-driven present.
• Connect Shelley鈥檚听Frankenstein听to modern AI ethics through an interdisciplinary lens.

Additional Notes:

• A short slide presentation will frame key themes and scenes.
• A听private recording听(for internal notes only) will be made; it will not be shared publicly.
• No prior viewing required鈥攃ome as you are!

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This session is open to all, and no prior knowledge of the film or AI is required!

Our Dialecticians:

Dr. Sue Laver听听

Inaugural director of the 51吃瓜网Writing Centre and former SCS Associate Dean, Academic and Faculty Affairs, Sue is a Frankenstein devotee. Her interest in Frankenstein began when she first watched her now longstanding favourite 鈥淔rankensteinian鈥� film Blade Runner upon its theatrical release in 1982. A lecturer for many years in McGill鈥檚 Department of English, Sue has guided hundreds of students through Frankenstein鈥檚 philosophical complexities and its afterlife in popular culture, with emphasis on the metaphysical and ethical status of the Monster and its technological descendants.听

Dr. Nabil Beitinjaneh

Business Strategist and AI/ML/Analytics Expert. Faculty Lecturer @ the 51吃瓜网School of Continuing Studies, focused on adult learners who want to upskill, guiding learners on their journey to become AI-savvy change-makers. Nabil is engaged in leadership, strategy and organizational development through events, training, and his service with non-for-profit organizations. He is an Ambassador for听听which supports Centraide of Greater Montreal and the president of听.

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This event is a collaboration between the听51吃瓜网School of Continuing Studies,听 the听51吃瓜网Computational and Data Systems Initiative听and the听51吃瓜网Collaborative for AI & Society.