Yuanhao Pan: Avatar Expedition

Avatar Expedition

I took off my protective goggles and used a dirty sleeve to wipe the sweat off my freckled face. The head of an android I was repairing lay on my work desk. I had been working on it for several hours. I had no idea what time it was, since the tiny, poorly-ventilated workshop had no windows, but I was sure it was dark outside. I sat up with a sigh and wondered how I got here.

I was in my late twenties and had been working in the android factory for five years. My job involved repairing damaged androids, and it was hard work. The hours were long and the pay was bad. Furthermore, the androids expected flawless work and held humans accountable for any errors made. It was a thankless job, but at least it put food in my stomach. That was all I needed to survive in the current society, a difficult task for humans.

There was a gasp from across the room. I looked up to see Sam staring at something in his right hand. Sam and I had several things in common. We both had a medium height and build with short red hair. Additionally, we had shared the same workshop in the factory for two years. In his mid-forties, Sam had worked for the androids much longer than I, and he hated it more with each passing day. He often expressed his strong dislike for the androids. Most humans generally did not like the androids, but Sam did little to hide his resentment. I warned him on numerous occasions to be careful about what he said and did, but it was like talking to a brick wall. I did not like the androids either, but I always made sure to follow the rules they set. Sam hated how I always insisted on conforming, because I believed it was the only way to survive. Despite our differences, Sam and I were good friends.

I asked Sam what he had seen. He held up his arm to show a small silver orb the size of a golf ball. It was an adamantium core, which was one of the key components of an android. The cores were priceless and we rarely encountered any working ones during our job. However, the slight glow it emitted indicated that it was still working. Sam slipped the core into his pocket.

“What are you doing?” I hissed.

Sam looked at me and shrugged. If we found any working adamantium cores we were to hand them over to our android overseer immediately. Humans found possessing cores in the factory was a serious violation of the rules. I knew that Sam was aware of these facts.

I told Sam to hand over the core to the androids, but he refused. He said that he would take it out of the factory and sell it off to make a fortune. I warned him of everything that could possibly go wrong, but I already knew what he would do. Eventually, I went back to my work and left Sam alone.

My mind was racing. I was worried for Sam. I had heard stories of what happened to people found with illegal cores. It never ended well for them and I did not want Sam to have the same fate. Unfortunately, I did not know what else I could do to change his mind.

“Perrin, I got my ticket out of this dump,” Sam said to me with a sly smile on his face as he walked to the door. This was a few hours later at the end of his shift. I stared silently as Sam left. He was right. I never saw him in the android factory or heard from him ever again.   

 I still wonder what happened to him. Maybe he did get out, but I highly doubt it. The androids would not have let it happen. Perhaps if I had been more persuasive, then I could have stopped Sam from making a mistake. Alternatively, I could have helped Sam and we both would be free. I always regret doing nothing at the time (Jordan 492). If I had been stronger, I might have saved my friend.   

Works Cited

Jordan, Robert. Knife of Dreams: Book 11 of the Wheel of Time. Hachette UK, 2010.

                                              

Yuanhao Pan: Yamamoto 7

The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto

              Hiroshi Yamamoto presents Ibis’ stories by showing the differences between the book’s people and androids. He does this by creating a world in which intelligent machines are increasing in population faster than humans. The stories present a future in which the Earth is ruled by artificial intelligence (AI), and hints at how they are slowly enslaving humans. This background acts as the frame for humanity’s fears regarding technological advancement.

                I find Ibis’ stories fascinating as they as they are relevant to the rapid technological advancements of modern society. However, these changes raise more questions than answers. The first two stories, “The universe on my Hands” and “A romance in Virtual Space”, shows interactions between human beings in practical and narrative spaces. The stories raise doubts as to the difference between reality and fiction. The first story shows the relationship between the internet and role-playing friends, while the second explores romance in the narrative world. The most interesting part of the book is the last two stories, “The Day Shion Came” and “AI’s Story”. The sixth story introduces the close relationship between humans and machines. The introduction of a virtual nurse assisting a human shows us how human beings relate to machines for efficient outcomes. However, I believe that Yamamoto is wrong in his portrayal of the virtual being better than the real. To ensure a better future for mankind, human beings need to accept and interact with machines. However, prosperity must not come at the cost of experiences that are traditionally considered real.

               Through these interesting stories, my general view towards technological advancement has changed. First it should be understood that advancement in technology is inevitable. Even though it ushers in rapid change and alters cultural norms, it also unifies people of different backgrounds. Thematically, Hiroshi Yamamoto illustrates how prejudice separates us and how little we often differ from each other. The book shows that we should not only tolerate those who are perceived to be different – but that we should accept them. It also illustrates how different cultures have the same fears, and how prejudice and isolation drive us apart.

Work Cited

Yamamoto, Hiroshi. The Stories of Ibis. Translated by Takami Nieda. Haikasoru/Viz Media, 2010.

Yamamoto: Intermission 6 - Story 6

Maddie Baum
Yamamoto: Intermission 6 - Story 6

A) In this section, there were many ethical imperatives present. One of the most outstanding ones in 'The Day Shion Came' resulted toward the end of the story, when Shion tells her advisor that all humans have dementia, which would explain humans' irrational behavior. Shion, who already had difficulty communicating with the residents that she nursed for was an android. It bothered me that irrational behaviors must be labeled by something, specifically by a character who is not human. It forces us to make a conclusion, when not everything needs an answer.


B) Relating to my response to portion "A", I thought that the larger context that I noticed Yamamoto may be addressing through this portion of the narrative may be the importance of doctor patient care, and how there is constant controversy surrounding our health as humans. As humans it is easy to jump to conclusions and label something immediately.  "The frame problem - say you tell a robot you're going out, so it should keep you safe. The robot will walk with you, observing its surroundings, on the lookout for danger. But what qualifies as 'danger'?" (206). As humans, we are typically able to determine this, but technology can't all the time. It worries me, and I believe Yamamoto, that we will incorporate smart technology in the medical world to a fault; allowing it to make personable labels or decisions that the ultimately should not be making.

C) Article example:

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute is developing an intelligent, integrated medical system to assist in delivering quality health care during spaceflight and exploration. "Possible technologies needed include ultrasound diagnostics and therapeutics, lab-on-a-chip systems, patient and health physiologic monitors, and automated systems and devices to aid in decision-making,training and diagnosis" (NSBRI Website). I thought that this article discussing the new forms of space technology that is being created is awesome, but directly correlates to Yamamoto's "larger context" that I discussed in portion "C". Should we be allowing technology to make decisions for us? Should they be monitoring our physiological care if they do not have the ability to feel?

• http://nsbri.org/research/browse-by-team/smart-medical-systems-and-technology/

D) The ideas that I touched on through this reading connect well with what I will be doing my final/presentation on. I think that it's important that we recognize the role that technology plays in our everyday lives, specifically our mental health. For technology to be allowed to make decisions for us, it takes away the need for us as humans to have a self reliance. In the medical field, if we are allowing technology to do analyzation behind mental health, is that moral? I strongly disagree because they are incapable of feeling that as a human may. 

Yuanhao Pan: Yamamoto 6

Yamamoto 6

The Sixth Story, The Day Shion Came, is longer than the previous tales. It takes about 100 pages. The story comes against a backdrop of negative stereotypic view about robots and their usefulness in life. In all the stories, Ibis endeavors to present the good side of androids that is unknown to men. The story is about Shion, a robot working in a Japanese nursing facility. Interestingly, Shion has a robust understanding of medical terms and conditions based on her extensive training on health matters. However, it lacks effective communication skills when engaging with the residents. Despite the medical skills, it will be impossible to remain effective in the facility without proper communication skills.

The need to develop engagement skills sends Shion to a trainer. After a successful session, the trainer learns something startling from Shion about her understanding of human behavior. According to her analysis, humans have irrational behavior caused by dementia. She believes all the people within her sphere suffer from this condition. As the story comes to an end, Shion pulls one of the greatest act a robot can perform. She saves a resident who was on the verge of committing suicide. While the act proves her claim of humans being irrational, it presents a great stride in communication skills gained over time.

The ethical imperatives from the story centers on the social belief system that discredits the use of artificial intelligence. Androids have a positive influence on the lives of people. However, programmers should have stringent principles controlling their operations. Yamamoto addresses dynamism in social construct and the changing beliefs on the use of robots in delivering crucial services like healthcare. While there are traditional fears in trusting robots, societies are gradually adjusting themselves to accept their positive attributes. 

Work Cited

Yamamoto, Hiroshi, and Takami Nieda. The Stories of Ibis. San Francisco: Haikasoru, 2010. Print.