As the mystification of artificial intelligence (AI) and fantasies of transhumanism continue to appear in fictions and speculations on possible futures, concerns arise about the biases and forms of discrimination that tomorrow’s systems might involve. These troubling aspects are exemplified by the the Neoreactionary Movement’s interest in AI, which is based on the belief that technology can only serve humanity to its fullest if it is liberated from democratic standards. In order to critically examine the build-up of symbolic mystifications and real infrastructures of futuristic liberatory discourses, the speakers of this panel will speculate on the changes that AI can bring to territories, cultures, or groups of people, and discuss emerging political counter-fictions and imaginaries.

Presented in cooperation with Winchester School of Art.