Robot Double

This chapter discusses Japanese roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro’s performance experiments with robotic machines (humanoid and android) as a case study for this book’s theme, “the techno-self.” Ishiguro’s robots are highly sophisticated pieces of engineering intended to replicate human physical movement and appearance. In addition to claims relevant to robot engineering, for Ishiguro, these machines are reflexive tools for investigations into questions of human identity. In Ishiguro’s thinking I identify what I call a “reflexive anthropomorphism,” a notion of the self’s relation to the other that is tied equally to Buddhism and Japanese mythology. Using concepts from Japanese studies and theatre and performance studies, this chapter examines one culturally specific way of thinking about concepts of the self and identity through Ishiguro’s discussion of the human-robot relation.

“To Be Shot at Without Result”

Winston Churchill famously asserted that “there is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result.” Whether or not this is accurate, it is indicative of an ancient and persistent myth which depicts combat as the locus of glory, virtue, and sublime exhilaration. Drawing on the works of Ernest Becker, Gregory Nagy, and Ian Bogost, this chapter traces the combat myth from Homer to Call of Duty, situating it within a rhetoric of heroism and ultimately, immortality. Given the immense popularity of the First Person Shooter (FPS) and Action Role Playing Game (ARPG) genres, which employ combat as their dominant motif, the myth appears to be alive and well. The chapter concludes with a discussion of terror management theory and its application to videogame analysis and design.

Avatars

Avatars are defined as virtual representations that are controlled by a human user. Commonly, we observe avatars in video and online games, social networking sites, and virtual worlds. This chapter explores the use of avatars in the expression, exploration, and evolution of users’ identities, both online and offline. Theoretical explanations for the creation, manipulation, use, and effects of avatars are offered, including identification, transformed social interaction, and the Proteus effect. The adoption of avatars for identity expression, exploration, and change is discussed, including Turkle’s notion of fragmented selves and Nakamura’s concept of identity tourism. Research that has investigated the effects of avatars on self-perceptions and identity in various domains (such as health, marketing, finance, and environmental behaviors) is addressed. Implications and future directions for research in this area are discussed.

Intellectual Disability, Identity, and the Internet

This chapter provides insight into the nature of online engagement by people with intellectual disabilities, the extent and quality of this engagement in terms of the access that people have, and how people with intellectual disabilities present themselves in the online world. The authors of this chapter provide an overview of the extant literature on intellectual disability, identity, and the Internet. The chapter begins by outlining issues around Internet use and access by people with intellectual disabilities, including potential barriers. It then moves on to address online behaviour and the potential benefits of Internet use for people with intellectual disabilities. The chief focus of the chapter follows, describing the manner in which computer mediated communication affects how people with intellectual disabilities present themselves in the online world as well as considering the role that family members and supporters play in the development and management of people’s online identities. Finally, the chapter introduces future directions for research into intellectual disability, identity, and the Internet.

Identity Theories and Technology

Modern identity has been shaped by technology, which has in turn shaped theories in understanding identity. How one communicates who they are to others is given limitless possibilities by the advent of the Internet and computer-mediated environments. Thus, identity theory today must take into account computer-mediated communication theory and research. Such research indicates four ways in which identity is affected by technology. First, researchers have discussed the differences between an individual’s true identity and the virtual identity he or she presents, via self-selected text and images, to an online world. Second, researchers have discussed how the Internet can provide both protective anonymity for those who seek it and cathartic disclosure for those who need it. Third, researchers have discussed ways in which users pursue both reflective virtual lives online and role-play with identities, often multiple identities. Fourth, researchers have conducted experiments that reflect the impact that virtual identity has on the practice of communication and the impact communication has on the presentation of the self.

The Human-Robot Continuum of Self

This chapter examines the cinematic representations of identity in Blade Runner, Bicentennial Man, and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. It looks at the way humans and robots in these films deal with the identity of a robotic Other in relation to the human self. Using posthuman, critical race, and philosophy of technology theories, the author builds a framework for how we, as humans can see ourselves within our technological creations as Another form of ourselves. The application of this framework is as an exercise in pragmatically understanding relationships that do not exist yet in our everyday lives. By raising questions framed by the cinematic playground, this chapter provides a place to begin further exploration into the robotic-human identity continuum.

Just Doesn’t Look Right

This chapter provides a critical analysis of the potential short- and long-term cultural, emotional, and ethical outcomes facing Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists working closely with anthropomorphic robots in daily team situations as viewed through the interdisciplinary lens of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research. Effective small group communication and decision-making is especially critical for EOD teams. Communication failures cause immediate safety concerns, potential physical and psychological harm to EOD team members, and similar repercussions for any individuals in close physical proximity of the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). The complexity of EOD Team duties, coupled with the inherent limitations of human performance, make it gravely important that technicians have tools that aid rather than hamper team goals. The U.S. Military is seeking a refinement of EOD robot design, including the incorporation of some humanlike characteristics such as biped design, upright walking ability, and responsiveness to human voice and gesture commands. These characteristics can be arguably useful for robots to move in human spaces, learn in a humanlike way, dexterously disarm munitions, and communicate efficiently with human users. But while humanoid design may move the role of the robot to one that becomes potentially more effective in some environments, it may complicate emotional and ethical issues in terms of how human team members view the robot – as an extension of self, an external tool, a team member, a pet, or other entity.

The Need for Identity Construction in Computer-Mediated Professional Communication

This chapter discusses the construction of personal identities by individuals of the same rank through the discourse they constructed while engaging in computer-mediated professional communication in the workplace. First, it discusses the need for the members of three different communities of practice to construct desirable personal identities via their daily computer-mediated professional communication. Second, it discusses how the members constructed these identities through the e-mail discourse they composed by exploiting various discursive strategies. Drawing upon systemic functional grammar, influence tactics, interdiscursivity, and rapport and rapport management, a total of 89 request e-mails were analyzed. The present study intends to bring to the fore the importance of the choice of language in professional communication in general, and in e-mail in particular, thereby enabling professionals to both encode and decode workplace communication in a more comprehensive manner.

A New Trend in Education

The study of self-concept is essential in the fields of psychology, education, and for society in general, whilst self-concept is widely valued as a desirable educational goal. With the advent of social networking on the Internet, the great impacts of social interaction have rapidly migrated into the online world in order to enable people to share opinions, insights, expertise, experience, and interests with each other for collaboration, discovery, and even construction of self within an evolving technological society. The emerging technologies have expanded a new dimension of self – ‘technoself’ - driven by socio-technical innovations and challenged ideas of the next generation of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). This chapter is to bring attention to technoself enhanced social learning in education. By investigating the convergence of social media technologies for technoself enhancement, it examines the way in which Social Virtual Worlds (SVWs) are transforming the nature of learning as a social practice and discusses the role of technoself in social learning. The author has traced the new trend in TEL and recommends a novel pedagogical and sociological model of learning – an augmented learning approach which couples the technoself enhanced social learning with formal learning in education.

Mindclone Technoselves

Ethical issues arise with respect to a digitized analog of a person. Such an analog exists when a person transfers an adequate quantity of digitized memories into a database coupled to software capable of discerning, and reproducing, a close facsimile of the person’s apparent consciousness, including personality, mannerisms, recollections, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, and values. This chapter refers to such a digitized analog of a person as a “mindclone.” The requisite software to create a mindclone is called “mindware,” and the database upon which mindware operates is called a “mindfile.” The purpose of this chapter is to assess two issues with respect to the ethical boundaries and cyber-psychological precepts for mindclone technoselves. First, is the legal identity of the mindclone separate from, or unified with, the identity of the biological original? Second, how does traditional bioethical analysis of biomedical actions toward people morph into a biocyberethical analysis of biomedical actions toward mindclones?