A Posthumanist Study of Stigmatization of AI in Sawyer's Mindscan and Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Abstract

This study examines the ethical and sociological implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and its Stigmatization in Contemporary American Science Fiction (CASF), with a focus on AI dominance and societal marginalization. It employs a methodological approach that combines Goffman's (1986) theory of Stigmatization with Link and Phelan's (2001) framework of Stigmatization, utilizing textual analysis to explore CASF's portrayal of AI. The findings reveal that CASF largely casts AI in a negative light, depicting it as a threat to humanity rather than a potential ally. This portrayal reinforces societal biases against AI, which could lead to its Stigmatization and marginalization. CASF also often depicts the victims of AI stigmatization as marginalized groups, such as the poor, the disabled, and the elderly. The study argues that CASF plays an important role in shaping public perceptions of AI. Its largely negative portrayal of AI could have harmful consequences, such as Stigmatization and marginalization, which highlights the need for a more nuanced and critical understanding of AI in society.