The (Post)human Condition in Times of Crisis: The Interplay between Artificial Intelligence, Otherness, and Environmentalism, Electricdreams—Between Fiction and Society II, IULM University, Milan, Italy, October 20–23, 2023

The Electricdreams—Between Fiction and Society II international conference featured explorations of the intricate connections among human, posthuman, and transhuman experiences in times of crisis. Electricdreams attracted scholars from literary and media studies, technology studies, ethical philosophy, and environmental studies to parse these entanglements, particularly the reciprocal influences of technological progress and speculative narratives. With experts on a wide variety of contemporary media, including literature, film, TV series, comics, video games, and emerging narrative media, the conference surveyed utopian and dystopian world(ing)s, speculative and science fiction, and fantasy, focusing on how these narrative forms, in various media and genres, have portrayed the intricate, arguably symbiotic, relationship between the human and the technological.In alignment with the work of scholar and rhetorician Stuart Hall, the Electricdreams conference emphasized popular culture’s role as a critical platform for contesting and negotiating ideologically constructed power dynamics and social identities.1 According to Hall, this platform offers alternative representations and discourses, opening space for the reimagining and potential transformation toward a different, better reality. Over the three days of the conference, several central topics emerged: the intersection of technology and the evolution of humanity—and thus representation of diverse (including posthuman) others; the social and ethical impacts of technology; environmental sustainability and ecological impacts; and the co-evolution of public perceptions of AI and popular media.The exploration of the plural posthuman concept simultaneously embodied dreams and nightmares, progress and regression, freedom, and exploitation. Keynote speakers Monika Bakke (Adam Mickiewicz University) and Eleonora Federici (University of Ferrara) both agreed with Rosi Braidotti, who framed the posthuman turn as “a remarkable opportunity for collective decision-making regarding our shared potential and an avenue for humanity to undergo positive reinvention.”2 This reimagining involves fostering creativity, strengthening ethical relationships, and moving beyond vulnerability and fear. It was a chance for scholars to identify new avenues for global resistance and empowerment. In Electricdreams the posthuman was interpreted as a multifaceted game, ranging from the material to the philosophical, offering a platform to contemplate diversity and explore the heterogeneity of the world. Inspired by the literary works of Isaac Asimov and Greg Egan, as well as cinematic creations like Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie (2015) and video games such as Detroit: Become Human (2018), the posthuman narrative invited reflections on integration, fusion, empathy, and respect. Furthermore, dark fantasies, from Metropolis (1927) to Westworld (HBO 2016), Blade Runner (1982), and Deus Ex Human Revolution (2011) have depicted oppressive, hyper mechanized, and dehumanized realities where the boundaries between Homo Sapiens and Machina Sapiens blur or starkly oppose each other,3 leading to serious conflict. Thus, the international conference sought to unravel the complex depictions of the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence in novels, short stories, films, television series, comic books, video games, and other hybrid narrative forms. It aimed to explore the solutions proposed within these narratives.Posthuman and transhuman imaginaries were central themes, reflecting popular culture’s nuanced interplay of technological advancements and human development. The co-evolution of public perceptions of AI and popular media was featured in many talks, as speakers investigated various ways in which speculative narratives—whether in a utopian or dystopian mode—parsed cognitive and affective aspects of human–AI interaction. These and other media narratives are ultimately directed at understanding both practical and ethical implications of AI integration into our present and future lives.4 Papers drilled down through sociocultural, psychological, and philosophical dimensions, aiming to unravel the complexities inherent in the evolving relationship between humans and technology. Contributors explored the intricacies of human cognition, emotions, and social structures, exploring how these elements intersect with and are reshaped by the ongoing advancements in technology and AI.According to Simona Adinolfi (Ghent University), in recent years the fast development of digital technologies has proved to be a double-edged sword for people on the move. For instance, if on the one hand devices such as smartphones and laptops help migrants to keep in touch with their loved ones far away and guide them on their journeys, on the other hand, surveillance technologies such as drones or face recognition software present challenges for freedom of movement in unprecedented ways. Contributions like these delved into the intricacies of human cognition, emotions, and social structures, exploring how these elements intersect with and are reshaped by the ongoing advancements in technology—and AI. Similarly, Elvira del Guercio (Roma Tre University) investigated the relationship between AI—or rather, capitalist technology5—and women’s reproduction and bodies, suggesting that AI may not only be an instrument of control but also of self-determination. These inquiries navigated the formal aspects of AI integration, examining the political, cultural, and technical frameworks that shape its implementation.This multidimensional exploration aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted implications of AI, addressing both theoretical perspectives and practical considerations for its responsible and beneficial incorporation into society. Gi Taek Ryoo (Chungbuk National University) interrogated the possibilities for symbiotic relationships between humans and machines, mind and body, biology and technology, the genuine and the artificial. Comparing Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005) the author explains that humans have always been looped to the technologies they use to transform the world, the act of which paradoxically transforms themselves. The cybernetics view of reality illuminates the dynamic and dialectical nature of existence, which is embedded in and emerges from the complex web of relationships between the observer and the observed, and by extension, the human and nonhuman. Thus, beyond the speculation and fantasy for robots and other cybernetic hybrids of human and machine, the cybernetics elicits, as Bruce Clarke claims, “symbiotic visions of the posthuman,” in which humans and nonhumans are looped together through feedback circuits.6 The end point of such hybridization is software that uses archive images found on the internet to generate faces, bodies, and people that do not exist. Pierandrea Villa (IULM University) focused the relationship between individuals through the lens of human–animal interaction, analyzing Artbreeder.com as a website capable of managing the “genes” of an image or carrying out crossbreeding visual experiments. The focus was on the relationship between individuals and artificial intelligence through the lens of human–animal interaction, as it is a privileged field of investigation for people’s relationship with the nonhuman.Regarding the social, SF scholar Sherryl Vint has claimed that posthuman technology “delves into the historical evolution of machines and algorithms, examining both transformative moments and societal apprehensions.”7 While marked by innovation, technological progress often triggers ethical concerns. Liam Rogers (University of Warwick) focused on holographic technology as a “mainstay of science-fiction”—as conceived by Sean Johnston8: holograms replace screens as the signifier of a technologically advanced society, simultaneously facilitating utopian goals, of being in two places at once and aiding intergalactic travel, and dystopian nightmares, of capitalist exploitation and surveillance-state suppression through three-dimensional adverts and neon billboards.The hologram has the capacity for reproduction and replication, a thread picked up by Ana Peraica (Danube University), who examined the doppelganger in the context of human–AI relationships; it is possible, she suggested, to reconstruct a more detailed version of each person through the collection of biological, geospatial, temporal, and social data.9 Francisco José Martínez Mesa (Complutense University of Madrid) focused on cinematic representations to analyze the potential possibilities and problematics of cinema, questioning the artificial creation of genetic material from human beings to create life forms conceived as human replications, but systematically deprived of any of their rights.Looking at fictional contexts and contemporary challenges, researchers attempted to provide nuanced solutions for navigating the intricate ethical terrain of technology: they not only considered the historical dimensions of technological advancement but also actively engaged in the formulation of ethical paradigms to address multifaceted challenges in the ever-evolving technological landscape. The conference offered postcolonial and neocolonial critiques within dominant cultural canons, highlighting the intersection of power dynamics, communities, and technological agency. Teuvo Peltoniemi (independent scholar) explored the intricate relationship between technological utopias, virtual reality, and the potential for utopian communities in the digital era. The utopian dimension of the relationship between humans and technology was further explored by Federica Moscatelli (University of Bologna) in her study of the novel Ygdrasil by Jorge Baradit (2005). The book’s transhuman ecology presupposes both techno-utopia and techno-colonization. On the one hand, the techno-utopia of a connected mode that allows the human to overcome its biological limits and merge with technological logics to increase its potentialities; on the other, the techno-colonization of the body in a society where capitalist production shapes a slave regime and a cyber hell where the human is alienated and amputated.The intersection of AI and environmental sustainability was another relevant conference topic. AI may be used as a tool to mitigate climate change, as—according to Maria Raffa (IULM University, Milan)—algorithms enable accurate modeling and prediction of environmental phenomena, paving the way for adaptive interventions and optimized resource utilization. Conversely, algorithms also exploit the environment for constant algorithmic proliferation: specifically, the energy consumption of machine learning models and the disposal costs of robots and other AI devices. Beyond technical considerations, the social implications of AI for environmental solutions raise crucial questions about climate justice, equitable access to technology, and the influence of AI on migration patterns in response to environmental changes. To navigate the profound implications of this complex scenario, interdisciplinary scrutiny—encompassing technological, ethical, social, and geopolitical dimensions—is required. In this sense, Ciarán Kavanagh (Ghent University) reminded us how SF provides tropes, imagery, and thought-through potentials to the news media, which, through their use of the same, provide a measure of authority or credibility to SF. The result is an increase in serious attention to SF, specifically in matters relating to AI.In the context of AI and posthumanism, Nicole Chi et al. write that “representations of diversity and the other emerged as a pivotal area of academic exploration.”10 Narratives are explored by intricately weaving bio-technological hybridizations and the portrayal of the cyborg with profound political dimensions like gender, queerness, ethnicity, disability, nationality, religion, and migration. These narratives challenge traditional notions of humanity, exploring fluid boundaries between the organic and artificial. As explained by scholar Gill Kirkup, the representation of the cyborg serves as a metaphorical space where diverse identities intersect, highlighting the complex interplay of technology and identity politics.11 Within this posthuman landscape, the narratives become a canvas for sociopolitical exploration, addressing issues of power, agency, and belonging. As such, both posthumanism and transhumanism seem to focus prominently on life, leaving the discussion of the role of death in the posthuman to the side. Valentina Romanzi (University of Verona) explained how transhumanism, especially, seems to set itself up against death, which is understood as an obstacle to be removed through the application of technology, an aberration of nature that must be made away with. Its dominant narrative purports that life, especially the human one, warrants its boundless extension on account of its desirability. Conversely, posthumanism takes a more nuanced view of death, attempting to reinscribe it within the wider concept of zoe, the vital impulse that pervades the world. Scholars engaging in this area uncover how these narratives contribute to broader discussions on inclusivity, societal norms, and the reconceptualization of the human experience. This academic exploration revealed the transformative potential of narratives in shaping our understanding of the evolving dynamics within the AI-infused tapestry of posthumanism.In the wake of the conference discussions, the intricate interplay between AI, posthumanism, transhumanism, and diverse societal elements has been revealed as a rich tapestry of inquiry. From the co-evolution of these entities to the profound representations of diversity and the other, the conference has illuminated the complex intersections shaping our collective imagination. Bio-technological hybridizations and the portrayal of the AI cyborg and software have emerged as symbolic spaces where narratives challenge traditional human boundaries and invite critical examinations of identity constructs. Moreover, the narratives transcended mere technological exploration; they delved into the sociopolitical dimensions of gender, queerness, ethnicity, disability, nationality, religion, and migration. The posthuman and transhuman landscape, as depicted in these narratives, intertwines technology and identity politics, underscoring the transformative potential of stories in reshaping societal norms. As scholars engaged in these discussions, Electricdreams navigated through the academic landscape, unraveling the threads that weave together the technological, the social, and the cultural. The narratives explored during the conference have not only deepened our understanding of the evolving dynamics within posthumanism but also underscored the critical role of storytelling in fostering social and cultural inclusivity and contributing to a reconceptualization of the human experience.The conference has served as a platform for unveiling the multifaceted dimensions of AI and posthumanism. The different topics have provided lenses through which we’ve examined the co-evolution, societal impacts, environmental considerations, and diverse representations within these realms. Overall, Electricdreams underscores the transformative potential of storytelling in reshaping societal norms, fostering inclusivity, and contributing to the reconceptualization of human experience, aligning with the aspirations of utopian studies. Finally, Electricdreams carries forward a deeper awareness of the intricate relationships between technology, humanity, and the transformative potential of these narratives in shaping our shared utopian and dystopian future.