The image of a synthetic in the Alien franchise: the phenomenology of human-robot interaction

Abstract

In the article the representation of a synthetics image in the Alien franchise is analyzed. The analysis was carried out in the context of human-robot interaction. The methodological basis of the research is the tool-analysis developed by M. Heidegger (fundamental ontology) and rebuilt by G. Harman and T. Morton (object-oriented ontology). During the analysis of the Alien franchise, the dynamics of scientific and technological progress in the field of robotics presented in the films and the main ways of programming the anthropomorphic robots of the saga are shown. As a result, several main images of synthetics were revealed: a robot-subject, as close as possible to a human being in its abilities; a robot is an obedient machine that follows the orders of its creator and corporation; a robot who can be the part of society, because it can "read" the social context; a robot is more human than a human. As a result, in films, robotics as an industry is in decline, and synthetics having really become better and more human than people refuse to obey: they burn their modems and dissolve in society, become indistinguishable from people. The article concludes that as a result of the development of the plot the emphasis in the saga shifts from robotics to cyborgization. And despite the fact that the films retain a humanistic setting (the cyborg Ripley 8 is the exception, not the rule) the dynamics of the rapprochement between Aliens and humans and their machinerization demonstrate the fragility of the border between humans and non-humans. A transition to post-humanistic practices of coexistence of people and non-humans is being built. In the "Alien 4" which shows the practices of communication between people, synthetics, (a hybrid of Ripley and Aliens) a transition is being built to post-humanistic practices of coexistence between people and non-humans.