Agency, one of the key literary and philosophical problems, has a new dimension in the era of so-termed artificial intelligence. So, too, the old question what is the value and purpose of human life resonates differently when considered in light of mass automation. The imagination, and the realization, of artificial entities, are not new, but the exponential developments in the machine and deep learning over the past decade, along with an evolving understanding of cognition, do invite us to reevaluate the mythologies we have built up around them. What texts and concepts inform our understanding of intentional action and life itself in the present?

For majors who declared in Fall 2023 or later, this course can fulfill one of two subject requirements for the English major:

Form, Media, Expression  

Literature Across Disciplines