Week 3 - Robotics and Art

Robotics and Art

Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” highlights the key point of the uniqueness/aura of art and that is destroyed by reproduction. In some ways, I agree with what Benjamin is saying. This specific argument has many claims to support both sides. In terms of spreading information like what the printing press was able to do, reproduction is a good thing because it allows the spread of ideas and information to a much larger audience. This is also the case with the modern printing press: Ford’s assembly line. It improved the quality of life for the majority and is one of the most notable moments in American history. 




However, it is true that in many instances, the reproduction of art and work can be a bad thing. The drawback of this includes Taylorism. It dehumanizes workers and caused many labor issues, especially in other countries. Child labor was prevalent and workers had little job security or bargaining power in these types of jobs. 




The movie I think of first is Big Hero 6. This Disney film came out 8 years ago and still to this day is one of my favorite movies about a robot. It was the film that really got me interested in how the future can be influenced by robotics. 





The reason Japan has always been the country I say is at the top of my bucket list to visit, is because of some of the reasons described in the lecture from Professor Machiko Kusahara. The acceptance of robots in Japanese society has caused Japan to develop into an extremely unique nation that is so advanced in robotics and integration of them into their lives. 



When I think of robots in the current time, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that they are going to be a much bigger part of our lives in the very near future. The benefits and efficiency of robots is something that we can use to make our lives easier, but we also have to account for the residual effects that will occur as a result. This includes loss of jobs in some industries, changing of education, and planning for the worst.





Works Cited

A&E Television Networks. (2009, November 13). Ford's assembly line starts rolling. History.com. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fords-assembly-line-starts-rolling

McFadden, C. (2020, May 6). 23 reasons why Japan is already living in the future. Interesting Engineering. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://interestingengineering.com/23-reasons-why-japan-is-already-living-in-the-future

McGee, O. (2021, June 5). Ramen vending machine in Tokyo satisfies noodle and Gyoza cravings at any time of day or night. SoraNews24. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://soranews24.com/2021/06/05/ramen-vending-machine-in-tokyo-satisfies-noodle-and-gyoza-cravings-at-any-time-of-day-or-night/

Na. (n.d.). Big hero 6. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/big_hero_6

Published: Jun 26, 2019L. U. M. 20. (2021, March 20). 5 ways robots are changing the world - including your business. Small Business Trends. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://smallbiztrends.com/2019/06/ways-robots-are-changing-the-world.html

Rogan, F. (2018, March 12). What can the assembly line teach us about innovation? RTE.ie. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2018/0312/946759-what-can-the-assembly-line-teach-us-about-innovation/

Vesna, V. (2022, April). Robotics + Art. Lecture.

Benjamin, W. (1935). "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"

Comments

  1. Ariana MaganaApril 17, 2022 at 2:58 PM

    Hey Shyam! Thanks for sharing your insight on robotics and art. You bring both sides of opinions into Walter Bejamin's arguments which really opened my mind into thinking about ways to either support or not support his thinking. I can understand how reproduction can be good into our world as we are moving to more and more modern things that require this line of work. It is always like, we need to keep up with technology, and any advances we've made. Same idea with spreading information and back then it was through printing press technology. Nowadays it is all through social media, such as twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok. Back then, there were some major drawbacks such as dehumanizing the workers and todays' time we still observe that in some field but in the spreading information, it is more of addiction/ and reliance to a phone. Overall, your post really shared a very important idea.

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