The Rise of the Robots: Technocapitalism and the Policing of Race

Gidaris, Constantine

doi:10.32855/fcapital.202101.004

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…They problematize how deployment of Spot was 'an intentional, if perhaps unconscious, action' that occurred without the knowledge nor consent of the neighborhoods in which they were deployed, completing 'another chapter in a long history of the lack of humane treatment by police department towards disadvantaged communities.' Constantine Gidaris (2021) argues that the deployment of Spot in the American police context should be understood in the context of technocapitalism-a form of contemporary capitalism that is founded on corporate power and its exploitation of technological advancements-which disproportionately and negatively influences ethnic minorities (37). 'The police have used the full scope of the technocapitalist system to continue to reinforce racial capitalism through an increasingly automated policing system' which has a history of targeting the less privileged.…”

Section: Extractivism As a Colonial Practice Extracted Atlasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Make Atlas Dance? Colonial Utopia that Persists in Contemporary Robotics

Jang

2024

Junctions

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This paper addresses the colonialist values at the foundation of Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot Atlas and contemporary robotics, generally, through an analysis of its dance video ‘Do You Love Me?’. This paper focuses on the concepts of ‘extractivism’ and ‘recognition’ to reveal how colonialist logic guides the human-robot relationship. I argue that Atlas is a new, posthuman colonial subject that has emerged in contemporary society and that, despite not having a sense of self and thus dodging ethical criticisms, robots such as Atlas display the succession and replication of colonial logic and practices. In other words, the desire for a colonial utopia—where we humans construct and rule the world based on the oppression and extraction of less-than-human others—haunts the robot that dances for your love. This paper thus problematizes the prevalence of colonialism in robotics and calls for reflection on the development of today’s robotics deeper than the symptoms of racism, sexism, and capitalism. Furthermore, I demonstrate how extraction as a dispossessing, dehumanizing force, and recognition as framing of false identity are two major mechanisms of colonialism that work closely together. Through the two tactics, colonialism not only serves capitalism but also deceptively obscures its existence.

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Section: Extractivism As a Colonial Practice Extracted Atlasmentioning

confidence: 99%