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Cited by 134Utopian, Dystopian, and Speculative FictionLiterary and Philosophical StudiesEthics and Social Impacts of AI

Artificial intelligence in fiction: between narratives and metaphors

Open access
Hermann, Isabella·2023·AI & SOCIETY
DOI 10.1007/s00146-021-01299-6
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Abstract

Science-fiction (SF) has become a reference point in the discourse on the ethics and risks surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Thus, AI in SF—science-fictional AI—is considered part of a larger corpus of ‘AI narratives’ that are analysed as shaping the fears and hopes of the technology. SF, however, is not a foresight or technology assessment, but tells dramas for a human audience. To make the drama work, AI is often portrayed as human-like or autonomous, regardless of the actual technological limitations. Taking science-fictional AI too literally, and even applying it to science communication, paints a distorted image of the technology's current potential and distracts from the real-world implications and risks of AI. These risks are not about humanoid robots or conscious machines, but about the scoring, nudging, discrimination, exploitation, and surveillance of humans by AI technologies through governments and corporations. AI in SF, on the other hand, is a trope as part of a genre-specific mega-text that is better understood as a dramatic means and metaphor to reflect on the human condition and socio-political issues beyond technology.

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  • In popular culture, AI is typically portrayed as an all-knowing, hyperrational entity, of superior reasoning ability but struggling with human traits like emotion and humor or sarcasm.

    “In popular culture, AI is typically portrayed as an all-knowing, hyperrational entity, of superior reasoning ability but struggling with human traits (93) like emotion and humor or sarcasm.”

    From The benefits and dangers of anthropomorphic conversational agents (2025) · cites this paper as [93]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) says popular science fiction often gives AI human or superhuman qualities, and §2.2 (page unavailable) describes some fictional AI systems as powerful and omnipotent. The paper does not establish that AI is typically portrayed as hyperrational or superior at reasoning while struggling with emotion, humor, or sarcasm. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

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  6. Roberts A (2010) Science fiction. Routledge, London, New York

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Authors
Hermann, I.
Affiliations
Technische Universität Berlin (DE)
Corresponding author
Hermann, Isabella
ORCID
Hermann, Isabella
Venue
AI & SOCIETY
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-10-05
Volume
38
Issue
1
Pages
319-329
ISSN
  • 0951-5666 (ISSN-L)
  • 1435-5655
DOI
10.1007/s00146-021-01299-6
OpenAlex
W3201848920
Cited by
134
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 33 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 4
FWCI
81.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • AI & Society (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DepositOnce (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Technische Universität Berlin – Universitätsbibliothek (cc-by)
Funders
Technische Universität Berlin
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Utopian, Dystopian, and Speculative Fiction
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Literary and Philosophical Studies
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Keywords
artificial intelligence in fiction, science fiction, AI narratives, AI ethics, AI risks, science communication, AI autonomy, surveillance, discrimination, exploitation, socio-political issues, human condition

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