Humans vs. Cyborgs in Utopia
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"Appleseed," a new animated science-fiction spectacle from Japan, has a plot that frolics in the no-man's land between fiendish complexity and utter incomprehensibility.
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Fans of open-source programming and multiplayer gaming explore ways to bring the concept of the metaverse -- an infinitely expandable virtual world -- closer to fruition. By Daniel Terdiman.
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Thanks to technology, people have never been more connected--or more alienated.
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Some able-bodied people want to improve their bodies with artificial parts. But their dreams may outpace the capabilities of technology. By Chris Oakes. Part four in a four-part series.
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Science & environment: AI experts say societies will have to tackle a new prejudice against individuals with brains made of silicon
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What is being lost as technology kills off the Renaissance man? Our souls, perhaps? Commentary by Tony Long.
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The future is tantalizing. But is it within reach?
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A computer program known as Brutus.1 is generating brief outbursts of fiction that are probably superior to what many humans could turn out.
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Humanoid devices will be used to encourage interest in science and technology.
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Has it come to this? Robots standing in for doctors at the hospital patients' bedside?
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A cadre of unknown designers shapes everyday human-machine interactions. By Andrew Blum from Wired magazine.
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So the big question all the critics were asking about Alex Proyas&#8217; latest effort was &#8220;Does it betray Asimov?&#8221;, which is a silly question since Asimov was a bit of a hack himself. More pertinent might be the question &#8220;Did Asimov betray robots?&#8221;, which is also something of a silly question, but one that probably leads to more interesting thoughts than the critics&#8217; dissection of tired robotic plotlines.   The Great Man&#8217;s Three Laws of Robotics (which might usefully be replaced with three laws about the use of capitalisation in grand statements) have caused far more discussion amongst AI aficionados than they should have done. AI might not be so far off as one would hope, and worryingly it looks like computer games might be the first to give us true digital friends&#8212;rumours that Proyas&#8217; next project is to be titled I, Sonic appear to be unfounded. But whether Capitalism delivers the Talkie Toastie&#174; or the Terminator first, it is unlikely that we will look to AI for servant hood and menial labour.
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For the last few days I've been addicted to Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex .  I'm not a huge Anime fan as everything I've ran across in the past seems to target 15 year old girls.  SAC is clearly different and can stand alongside the Matrix and any other major Science Fiction released in the last 10 years.  SAC is set in the year 2030 - obviously there's been a great deal of technological achievement since 2004 including ubiquitous Internet, AI, and cybernetic enhancements.  The main characters in the story all have cybernetic modifications ranging from a few implants all the way up to entire body replacement.  The protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi, is almost entirely cybernetic,  ...
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Computers long ago ceased to be simply tools. Instead, like digital music players and digital cameras, they are coming to reflect peopleÂs tastes and aspirations.
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Researchers are working out the rules for a future code of social behaviour in human-robot interaction.
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The real question raised by Vernor Vinge's new novel, Rainbows End, is whether controlling our digital fantasies is a way of controlling the world. In Table of Malcontents.
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VIENNA, Sep 1 (IPS) - Utopias have always inspired humankind -- from the  defence of enlightenment against religious fanaticism during the  Middle Ages, to reconstruction after last century's wars, to  the end of colonialism.