WORKSHOP 1 - AI NARRATIVES IN CHINESE CLASSICS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON SOCIETY TODAY
August 18, 2020
12:00 BST (19:00 CST) Introductions
SONG Bing, Vice President, Director, Berggruen Institute China Center
Kanta Dihal, Postdoctoral Researcher, Project Lead on Global Narratives, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge.
12:20 BST (19:20 CST) Talk 1: The Attitude and Influence of Pre-Qin Thinkers on Mechanical Invention (先秦思想家对机械发明的态度及其影响初探)
ZHANG Baichun (张柏春) - Professor at and Director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute for the History of Natural Sciences (IHNS)
12:50 BST (19:50 CST) Talk 2: Dao, Skill, Technique and Dexterity: The Daoist Theory of Technology (道、技、术、巧——道家道教工具论)
GAI Fei (盖菲) - Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Yunnan University
13:20 BST (20:20 CST) Talk 3: New Classic of Mountains and Seas III (新山海经III)
QIU Anxiong (邱黯雄) - Chinese Artist
13:50 BST (20:50 CST) - Discussion and questions
In Chinese history, especially in the history of technology, what were the stories people tell about artificial beings, sophisticated tools, and intelligent machines? What impact did these narratives have on society at that time?
How did people imagine artificial beings, intelligent machines, and robots in ancient Chinese literature? What did people wish to achieve with these machines and technologies?
What are the narratives of other non-human intelligences, such as fairies and supernatural beings, in Chinese classics (including literature and religious classics)? How do these narratives evolve and shape people's view of artificial intelligence in today's society?