Moved by Machines

This insightful book, Moved by Machines, uses performance practices to explore our complex relationship with technology in contemporary society.

In Moved by Machines, the author explores the intersection of performance practices—such as dance, theatre, music, and stage magic—with the rapidly evolving landscape of technology. As society grapples with the profound implications of smart devices, artificial intelligence, and robotics, it becomes essential to develop conceptual frameworks that help us understand and evaluate these advancements. This book argues for a performative approach to technology, drawing on insights from the humanities and social sciences to provide a fresh perspective on our relationship with machines.

The narrative delves into themes of knowledge, experience, agency, and power, while also addressing ethical considerations like deception. By employing various performance practices as metaphors, Moved by Machines invites readers to reconsider contemporary devices and their roles in our lives. It highlights how these practices can serve as interfaces for integrating theories that are often overlooked in traditional philosophy of technology, ultimately enriching our understanding of our interactions with technology.

Through a series of gestures and movements, the book proposes a performance-oriented conceptual framework that transcends conventional, static metaphors. This innovative approach acknowledges the dynamic, embodied, and narrative qualities of our daily engagements with technology—what the author terms 'technoperformances.' As such, Moved by Machines is a valuable resource for scholars in both philosophy of technology and performance studies, encouraging a reconceptualization of the impact of modern technology on society.