| dc.description.abstract | Contemporary authors of science fiction began creating vivid examples of artificial intelligence as long ago as 1921. Their imaginative depictions can be broken into three basic categories. First are those stories in which artificial intelligence is a threatening force able to overpower and control mankind. Next are the many stories in which man and artificial intelligence are portrayed as equals, able to coexist peacefully and without fear of each other. Lastly are those works which indicate that man is naturally in control of artificial intelligence, using it as an intelligent, productive tool which allows him to accomplish complex tasks with relative ease.
These works, in addition, do not fall into a detectable pattern over time. Stories of the first group, for instance, do not occur mainly in the early years of contemporary science fiction, as the authors saw their society questioning the ever-increasing growth of industrial power and mechanization. Stories of the latter group, as well, do not appear predominantly in the last decade, which has seen the explosive rise of the high-technology revolution and the introduction of complex electronic machines at all levels of society. Instead, each type of story appears throughout the period from 1921 to 1985. | en |
