Dinuka
Youngling
Darth Vader has a black suit. Most people are aware of this. This suit represents his existence as a cyborg hybrid, meaning that he is a combination of both human and machine components. If you are unfamiliar or need refreshing on the storyline, Darth Vader was one Anakin Skywalker. After being lured to the dark side and being instrumental in a Sith ploy to eradicate the Jedi and bring down the Old Republic, Anakin enters a duel with his former master and mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi on the volcanic planet of Mustafar. During the battle, Anakin Skywalker is gravely injured, losing both of his legs and an arm. He is left lying near a lava river, severely burned and on the brink of death. Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, found Anakin and had him transported to a secret medical facility, where he was given extensive cybernetic replacements for his lost limbs and outfitted with a life-support suit. This suit, which became Darth Vader's iconic appearance, includes a helmet, a respirator, and a set of black armor that helps regulate his breathing and other bodily functions. Many years later, Vader duels with young Luke Skywalker on Cloud City, a tibanna gas mining platform on the planet Bespin. In this engagement Vader severs Luke's right hand before telling him the unfathomable news that he is Luke's father. Luke is able to escape from Vader and is rescued by his friends in the Millennium Falcon.
At the end sequence of The Empire Strikes Back, a 2-1B droid onboard a Rebel Alliance medical frigate fits Luke with a bionic arm. In The Return of the Jedi Luke attempts to turn his father away from he dark side. In the Emperor's chambers within the second Death Star, Darth Sidious instructs Vader to duel Luke as a means of determining who would make a more powerful apprentice. Vader's emotional proddings of Luke arouses him to a surge of anger that ultimately results in Luke overpowering Vader and cutting off his right hand. As Vader lies defeated on the deck of the chamber Luke's gaze is fixated on the wires emerging from Vader's severed hands. In a moment of reflect Luke stares back at his own bionic hand, and realising that he would surely become a machine like his father if he continued on this path, he switches of his lightsaber and declines the Emperor's request that he take Vader's place. But what does this have to do with AI? Here, both Vader's suit and Luke's bionic arm represent the blurring of humans and machines. In this isomorphism, Vader represents the second modernity; Powerful Globalisation, Empire Building and Technological Change. Luke represents the third modernity; Complexity, De-differentiation, Post-Secularity, Network Society and Reflexive Modernization. For Vader, Technology has resulted in him (society) becoming completely machine like. Just as Luke is Vader's son, the third modernity is born out of the second modernity. The third modernity offers a fresh start for humanity, but if society choses to view and utilise technology in the same manner as the second modernity; ie. if Luke decides to become like his father; them humanity is doomed to become machine like.
Star Wars offers 'A New Hope' in terms of the technological future of humanity in the third modernity. It does this in the depiction of Luke relationship with R2-D2. Whilst R2-D2 is a droid, Luke's relationship with him is one of deep friendship and mutual trust. R2-D2 serves as Luke's loyal companion and confidant throughout his journey to become a Jedi and the two share many adventures and experiences together. R2-D2 is often portrayed as a reliable and resourceful partner to Luke, providing essential information, technical assistance, and even saving his life on multiple occasions. In turn, Luke values and respects R2-D2's contributions, often speaking to him in a friendly and familiar tone, and relying on him as a trusted ally and friend. The bond between Luke and R2-D2 is strengthened by their shared experiences, including their time together on Tatooine, their journey to rescue Princess Leia from the Death Star, and their involvement in battles against the Empire. Their relationship also reflects the themes of loyalty, perseverance, and friendship that are central to the Star Wars saga.This is in stark contrast to how Vader interacts with imperial droids. The relationship between Darth Vader and droids is primarily one of utilitarianism and instrumentalism. Vader views droids as tools to be used for accomplishing his goals, rather than as sentient beings with their own thoughts and feelings. He shows a willingness to destroy or dispose of droids that are no longer useful or have outlived their usefulness, such as when he destroys a group of medical droids in Revenge of the Sith. Much of the future depends on how we treat and utilise technology.
In many ways smartphones can be compared to Star Wars droids. Advancements in artificial technology in the real world means that smartphones approach a level of consciousness, autonomy and sentience exhibited by droids in the Star Wars galaxy. Both droids and smartphones have soft and hard architecture capabilities to interact with the environment; ie you can use your easily use your smartphone to control various home devices via downloadable apps. Thirdly, smartphones, like droids, can perform a wide range of functions from communication, and entertainment to productivity, research and navigation. For me personally, everyday activities like getting into my car and connecting my iPhone to Apple CarPlay feels a lot like getting into an X-Wing with my very own R2 unit. Loading up Google Maps via Apple CarPlay and setting a destination feels a lot like giving my R2 a navigation point. Feeling connected to an algorithm that knows what music I want to be played in the car feels a lot like there is a personalised relationship. Yes, it sounds a little crazy. But does it? When technology such as smartphones are designed to help users instead of instruments of data surveillance and collecting behavioural surplus; when we are able to trust technology and build loyal relationships with it; then the Luke in our society is able to remain Luke instead of becoming the next Vader; the next generation of a society that is destined to turn humanity into machines.
Dinuka Mapa
Author of 'The Art of Being Jedi'
dinukamapa.com
At the end sequence of The Empire Strikes Back, a 2-1B droid onboard a Rebel Alliance medical frigate fits Luke with a bionic arm. In The Return of the Jedi Luke attempts to turn his father away from he dark side. In the Emperor's chambers within the second Death Star, Darth Sidious instructs Vader to duel Luke as a means of determining who would make a more powerful apprentice. Vader's emotional proddings of Luke arouses him to a surge of anger that ultimately results in Luke overpowering Vader and cutting off his right hand. As Vader lies defeated on the deck of the chamber Luke's gaze is fixated on the wires emerging from Vader's severed hands. In a moment of reflect Luke stares back at his own bionic hand, and realising that he would surely become a machine like his father if he continued on this path, he switches of his lightsaber and declines the Emperor's request that he take Vader's place. But what does this have to do with AI? Here, both Vader's suit and Luke's bionic arm represent the blurring of humans and machines. In this isomorphism, Vader represents the second modernity; Powerful Globalisation, Empire Building and Technological Change. Luke represents the third modernity; Complexity, De-differentiation, Post-Secularity, Network Society and Reflexive Modernization. For Vader, Technology has resulted in him (society) becoming completely machine like. Just as Luke is Vader's son, the third modernity is born out of the second modernity. The third modernity offers a fresh start for humanity, but if society choses to view and utilise technology in the same manner as the second modernity; ie. if Luke decides to become like his father; them humanity is doomed to become machine like.
Star Wars offers 'A New Hope' in terms of the technological future of humanity in the third modernity. It does this in the depiction of Luke relationship with R2-D2. Whilst R2-D2 is a droid, Luke's relationship with him is one of deep friendship and mutual trust. R2-D2 serves as Luke's loyal companion and confidant throughout his journey to become a Jedi and the two share many adventures and experiences together. R2-D2 is often portrayed as a reliable and resourceful partner to Luke, providing essential information, technical assistance, and even saving his life on multiple occasions. In turn, Luke values and respects R2-D2's contributions, often speaking to him in a friendly and familiar tone, and relying on him as a trusted ally and friend. The bond between Luke and R2-D2 is strengthened by their shared experiences, including their time together on Tatooine, their journey to rescue Princess Leia from the Death Star, and their involvement in battles against the Empire. Their relationship also reflects the themes of loyalty, perseverance, and friendship that are central to the Star Wars saga.This is in stark contrast to how Vader interacts with imperial droids. The relationship between Darth Vader and droids is primarily one of utilitarianism and instrumentalism. Vader views droids as tools to be used for accomplishing his goals, rather than as sentient beings with their own thoughts and feelings. He shows a willingness to destroy or dispose of droids that are no longer useful or have outlived their usefulness, such as when he destroys a group of medical droids in Revenge of the Sith. Much of the future depends on how we treat and utilise technology.
In many ways smartphones can be compared to Star Wars droids. Advancements in artificial technology in the real world means that smartphones approach a level of consciousness, autonomy and sentience exhibited by droids in the Star Wars galaxy. Both droids and smartphones have soft and hard architecture capabilities to interact with the environment; ie you can use your easily use your smartphone to control various home devices via downloadable apps. Thirdly, smartphones, like droids, can perform a wide range of functions from communication, and entertainment to productivity, research and navigation. For me personally, everyday activities like getting into my car and connecting my iPhone to Apple CarPlay feels a lot like getting into an X-Wing with my very own R2 unit. Loading up Google Maps via Apple CarPlay and setting a destination feels a lot like giving my R2 a navigation point. Feeling connected to an algorithm that knows what music I want to be played in the car feels a lot like there is a personalised relationship. Yes, it sounds a little crazy. But does it? When technology such as smartphones are designed to help users instead of instruments of data surveillance and collecting behavioural surplus; when we are able to trust technology and build loyal relationships with it; then the Luke in our society is able to remain Luke instead of becoming the next Vader; the next generation of a society that is destined to turn humanity into machines.
Dinuka Mapa
Author of 'The Art of Being Jedi'
dinukamapa.com