Denilson Lully
Staff Writer
As society contends with the seemingly endless implementation of Artificial Intelligence, many questions arise from this upheaval; concerns with job security, theft of intellectual property, and privacy concerns. However, an overlooked aspect in this conversation is the possibility of artificial intelligence and the necessary precautions for this likelihood. The College Read Program at Broward College delves into this topic in their 2024-2025 Writing Contest with Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. In the novel, the reader is introduced to an AF, or Artificial Friend, named Klara. Afs serve as a tool for entertainment, with Klara being shipped away to live with a terminally ill child named Josie and her mother, Chrissie. However, it is later revealed that Klara was meant to replace Josie if she were to pass away. Ishiguro masterfully crafts this relationship between Klara, Josie, and Chrissie by implementing a real-world commentary on the possible harm it can cause while imbuing emotion into each interaction. Klara is an outlier in the AF sphere, as shown early in the novel, with her seemingly human traits. Klara can provide vivid descriptions of her surroundings, converse somewhat independently with humans, and even form a pseudo-religion with the sun, but one of the best examples of her “humanity” is in her relationship with Rosa. Rosa is an AF constantly stationed in an AF store juxtaposed with Klara but with distinct differences. Rosa lacks the care for understanding human emotions like Klara, who only focuses on her task at hand. This is highlighted in her departure from the store, where she only focused on her new objective while Klara wished to continue conversing with her. These seemingly human aspects of Klara raise an interesting question: Is it possible that in a real-world setting, Klara could truly be conscious? This conundrum finds its roots in a century-long debate known as the mind-body problem. This philosophical issue questions the relationship of the mind with the body and how much they coincide with each other. The two most recognized positions on this topic are Dualism and Materialism, where Dualism recognizes that the body is a separate process from the mind, while Materialism does not. A Dualistic approach holds the belief that the mind is entirely distinct from the body and therefore the creation of the mind is delineated by current inexplicable forces. Materialism views the mind as a direct byproduct of the body, meaning that if you can imitate a human’s bodily structure, you can imitate their consciousness. In Klara and the Sun, Ishiguro takes a Dualistic approach to the debate, arguing against the legitimacy of the Materialistic approach to Klara and Josie’s relationship. Taking a Materialist approach, it would seem as if this replacement should be possible as Klara’s bodily simulation should be sufficient to assume the identity of Josie, yet after further analysis, this is improbable. This is because AI simulates human intelligence with neither intentionality nor volition. Simulation is not enough to understand the intricacies of the human consciousness and merely results in an inauthentic copy. This means that even if technology can replicate AI such as Klara in the future, it would still lack a human consciousness. Even with this conclusion, Ishiguro constantly has the reader question the qualifications that make something human with his enthralling yet enigmatic storytelling, engaging character, and interesting cast. The novel offers an enriching experience to any fan of different types of literature, from romance to action and even comedy. However, even with the warnings highlighted in Klara and the Sun, will our society be wise enough to heed them?
