How might technology, and specifically AI, perform care labour like child-rearing? A short story about robot nannies taking over large parts of childcare raises interesting questions about these topics.
Join Schwartz Reisman postdoctoral fellow Benjamin Wald as he facilitates a biweekly discussion of issues in AI by using fiction—films, TV shows, short stories—to deepen our ability imagine possible futures that already confront us, and envision the impacts of artificial intelligence.
In this session, we'll read a short story by writer, aid worker, and sociologist Malka Older called “Actually Naneen,” which imagines the concept of robot nannies. An accompanying article asks more generally what role technology should (and does) play in childhood.
SRI Media Club meetings are free and open to the public. A zoom link will be sent to registered participants shortly before the start of the event. Please note that the discussion will be recorded and posted online.
Primary reading: Malka Older, “Actually Naneen” (Slate)
Optional secondary reading: Ed Finn, “What Role Should Technology Play in Childhood?”
Illustration by Jamiel Law