Science Seminar

February 20, 2025, 11:00 am

Glaske, C101, Berry Auditorium

LeTourneau University

Longview, Tx

Randy Compton

Cave and Dihal have noted four dichotomies in Science Fiction literature that deal with Machine intelligence / learning. One of these four dichotomies, “Ease vs. Obsolescence,” suggests that humans create technology in search of easier or more frictionless lives but face being made unnecessary by the very technology that makes their lives easier. Two examples within SF literature that explore the dangers of technological ease are “Pay for the Printer,” a 1954 story by Philip K. Dick and “The Feeling of Power,” a 1958 story by Isaac Asimov. Both authors imply that human creativity is put at risk when technology is used to provide a life without creative work. These stories suggest several questions that Christians can ask about our involvement in both developing and using technologies that may detract from or supplant various types of creativity or work.