What do you think?
Rate this book
Robot : drömmar och mardrömmar om mänskliga maskiner
Alla vet vad en robot är, men alla inser inte hur många av människosläktets drömmar och mardrömmar den rymmer. En robot kan vara slav eller gud, orakel eller monster, den perfekta soldaten eller en bättre människa än vi någonsin kommer att bli.
Hoten och löftena i den artificiella intelligensens framtid är en av vår tids mest brännande frågor. Men den är inte ny. Som den här boken visar går frågan tillbaka ända till den mänskliga civilisationens begynnelse. I de flesta kulturer genom historien har fantasin om att tillverka konstgjorda människor florerat, och ibland har man försökt göra verklighet av den. Det är en fantasi som säger mycket om mänsklighetens förhoppningar och farhågor, och om dess syn på sig själv.
I den här boken gör vi en resa genom den konstgjorda människans historia, från stenålderns magiska skulpturer till vår tids androider, via det gamla Egyptens rörliga gudastatyer, medeltidens alkemister, upplysningstidens musicerande automater och industrialismens ångmänniskor. Det är en berättelse om framtidstro och entreprenörskap, men också om rädslan för vad som händer när människan gör sig själv till skapare. Det är en bok att tänka med för både den historiskt och den tekniskt intresserade.
Hoten och löftena i den artificiella intelligensens framtid är en av vår tids mest brännande frågor. Men den är inte ny. Som den här boken visar går frågan tillbaka ända till den mänskliga civilisationens begynnelse. I de flesta kulturer genom historien har fantasin om att tillverka konstgjorda människor florerat, och ibland har man försökt göra verklighet av den. Det är en fantasi som säger mycket om mänsklighetens förhoppningar och farhågor, och om dess syn på sig själv.
I den här boken gör vi en resa genom den konstgjorda människans historia, från stenålderns magiska skulpturer till vår tids androider, via det gamla Egyptens rörliga gudastatyer, medeltidens alkemister, upplysningstidens musicerande automater och industrialismens ångmänniskor. Det är en berättelse om framtidstro och entreprenörskap, men också om rädslan för vad som händer när människan gör sig själv till skapare. Det är en bok att tänka med för både den historiskt och den tekniskt intresserade.
255 pages, Hardcover
Published January 8, 2024
6 people want to read
About the author
Peter K. Andersson
30 books7 followersA specialist inpopular culture, everyday life and streetlife, mainly during the late 19th century, Peter K. Andersson is Senior Lecturer in History at Sweden's Lund University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 10, 2024
Ganska bra enkelt utformat på ett begripligt sett av stora skeenden av robotar eller artificiella människor och skapelser genom historien till idag. Kul att författaren också gillade Klara och Solen av Kazuo Ishiguro :)
January 26, 2025
This book “Robot: Drömmar och Mardrömmar om Mänskliga Maskiner”, which I casually translate into english as (“Robot: Dreams and Nightmares about Human Machines”), is an interesting exploration that dives into the historical concept of the ‘robot’. The modern concept of robotic design today has an extensive past and the curiosity for engineering has apparently existed throughout centuries. One aspect I found the most interesting is how the robot has been rationalized throughout history. The sleek humanoid design of robots like Tesla’s Optimus or Boston Dynamic’s Atlas represent a modern interpretation, but earlier attempts to construct self-moving machines has been done before.
The term itself, ‘robot’ was coined by Czech writer Karel Capek. He introduced it in his play R.U.R (Rossum’s Universal Robots) in 1920 and popularized it during the early 20th century. Before then, we used the word ‘automatons’ instead while referring to these machines. Andersson writes that self-moving machines are not a new invention, but instead a demonstration of both curiosity and ingenuity. From the mechanical automatons of ancient Greece to the intricate machinery of the Renaissance, the core idea of engineering is, in other words, very old. The emergence of the modern, humanoid robot seem to be another step of humanity’s effort to blur the line between man and machine.
The book’s cultural analysis is both broad and engaging. Andersson examines how robots have been represented through various mediums, not just in ancient Greek mythology with Talos or through modern stories like Asimov’s Robbie, but also in visual media. The book contains many visual art pieces and photographs of how the robot’s appearance itself has progressed throughout history. He notes that robots often serve as metaphors for human concerns, such as labor, control and identity. For instance, the industrial revolution’s mechanical innovations gave rise to fears of dehumanization, which would lead some writers to critique the use of machinery in every day life. Thomas Carlyle for example argued that overreliance on machines could make people lose sight of their own humanity. The robot thus became a common scapegoat of increased skepticism.
Moving from historical and cultural analysis to contemporary relevance, Andersson also examines how robots function in today’s modern world. He talks extensively about prosthetics and how they have improved life for people who has lost a limb. Interestingly, despite the fact that we are comforted by familiarity, we also, paradoxically, desire the unfamiliar. In the context of prosthetics, people often prefer prosthetics that don’t resemble human skin. This is because even though we like familiarity, we still also want a distinction between what is mechanical and what is biological. In other words, if something looks too familiar, it will make us feel uncomfortable. This is possibly why modern humanoid robots like Optimus and Atlas look the way they do. Meaning, that their human-like appearance yet lack of hair, skin and facial features could be a deliberate choice to make these machines more approachable. Companies aim for relatability and probably know their customers wouldn’t want to buy robots that look too much like us.
Language-wise, “Robot: Dreams and Nightmares about Human Machines”, is written quite formally but the author doesn’t take an outright scholarly approach to his writing. The book is easy to understand and quite engaging as well. There is an index at the back for anyone who wishes to learn more. Throughout the whole read, Andersson introduces several questions, some of which he leaves unanswered, and I personally really enjoy it when a non-fiction author does this because it invites further reflection on the reader’s part and makes the overall reading experience a lot more fun and intellectually stimulating.
The term itself, ‘robot’ was coined by Czech writer Karel Capek. He introduced it in his play R.U.R (Rossum’s Universal Robots) in 1920 and popularized it during the early 20th century. Before then, we used the word ‘automatons’ instead while referring to these machines. Andersson writes that self-moving machines are not a new invention, but instead a demonstration of both curiosity and ingenuity. From the mechanical automatons of ancient Greece to the intricate machinery of the Renaissance, the core idea of engineering is, in other words, very old. The emergence of the modern, humanoid robot seem to be another step of humanity’s effort to blur the line between man and machine.
The book’s cultural analysis is both broad and engaging. Andersson examines how robots have been represented through various mediums, not just in ancient Greek mythology with Talos or through modern stories like Asimov’s Robbie, but also in visual media. The book contains many visual art pieces and photographs of how the robot’s appearance itself has progressed throughout history. He notes that robots often serve as metaphors for human concerns, such as labor, control and identity. For instance, the industrial revolution’s mechanical innovations gave rise to fears of dehumanization, which would lead some writers to critique the use of machinery in every day life. Thomas Carlyle for example argued that overreliance on machines could make people lose sight of their own humanity. The robot thus became a common scapegoat of increased skepticism.
Moving from historical and cultural analysis to contemporary relevance, Andersson also examines how robots function in today’s modern world. He talks extensively about prosthetics and how they have improved life for people who has lost a limb. Interestingly, despite the fact that we are comforted by familiarity, we also, paradoxically, desire the unfamiliar. In the context of prosthetics, people often prefer prosthetics that don’t resemble human skin. This is because even though we like familiarity, we still also want a distinction between what is mechanical and what is biological. In other words, if something looks too familiar, it will make us feel uncomfortable. This is possibly why modern humanoid robots like Optimus and Atlas look the way they do. Meaning, that their human-like appearance yet lack of hair, skin and facial features could be a deliberate choice to make these machines more approachable. Companies aim for relatability and probably know their customers wouldn’t want to buy robots that look too much like us.
Language-wise, “Robot: Dreams and Nightmares about Human Machines”, is written quite formally but the author doesn’t take an outright scholarly approach to his writing. The book is easy to understand and quite engaging as well. There is an index at the back for anyone who wishes to learn more. Throughout the whole read, Andersson introduces several questions, some of which he leaves unanswered, and I personally really enjoy it when a non-fiction author does this because it invites further reflection on the reader’s part and makes the overall reading experience a lot more fun and intellectually stimulating.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews