Recorder: Eric Nichols

Sexaroid Slavery

Video Presentation: Bubblegum Crisis OAV series, #5 Moonlight Rambler. The first sequence up to the credits.

Summery of Commentary: The video depicts the escape attempt of 5 cyberdroids (sexaroids). Two make it. In futures studies one of the things we look for are the changes taking place. STEEP. (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political.) This is called scanning. This sheet show several of my scan hits from last semester. If taken separately, they’re just interesting items, but if taken together, they point to all of the necessary technological advancements which are needed for a cyberdroid race to emerge.

State of the Future: (As it relates to the primary and secondary objectives.)

This vision of the future has aspects of an Evolutionary and Alternative Future.

This vision of the future has aspects of high tech., dystopia, and off-planet.

Sources:

Bubblegum Crisis OVA series: # 5 Moonlight Rambler

For further info on the relationship between cyberdroids and humans:

970 A.D.S. by Glenn Hough

Blade Runner, Directed by Ridley Scott.

Questions:

If we gain the technological knowledge to create a cyberdroid race, should we?

If we do create a cyberdroid race, should or do they deserve rights equal to that of humanity?

Could you ever be friends or love a cyberdroid?

Extra Credit: The five women are cyberdroids. What was the one visual clue that they are cyberdroids?

Discussion Questions and Answers June 7, 2001

Will these droids do our dirty work?

The concept of a cyberdroid is such that it will or can do or be most anything. There will be different models for different tasks. From construction models to the sexaroids, like we saw in the clip. I’ll leave it up to your imagination for what their role is.

What makes it a cyberdroid? Are they like robots?

The words robot, android and cyberdroid are virtually interchangeable. But each one does carry with it its own connotation. Robot is more mechanical, like C-3PO of Star Wars. Android is a more human looking model, like Data on Star Trek. Sexdroids generally represent beauty, as a model. Any version is what the future could hold.

What does Cyber means?

Cyber denotes an artificial intelligence that is highly advanced. It’s basically the word Cyberdroid cut in half. Lucas used the droid part of the word for his vision, I used the Cyber part of the word to denote my cyberdroids in my work, 970 ADS. (As a side note which I didn’t mention, linguistically, words like sexaroid and A.I. should be offensive to those two groups, if/when they develop. The word sexaroid carries with it the connotation of being a slut/whore and the word A.I. should be office to a M.I. Would you like to be called artificial?)

Do we, or should we, with our ever increasing knowledge, create one (a cyberdroid)?

If we can do this, why can’t we do that?

But shouldn’t we be using this technology to help people?

If you look on your handout on the third page for the robot with the eel article, you’ll notice there are three levels of consequences: short, middle, long. Short will be helping people, like with strokes, which is why those scientists are doing the research, but then later it will be useful for replacing whole limbs, and then for Cyberdroids. This tech is not being developed for cyberdroids, but it’s along the necessary path way of technological development which has to occur if they are to arise.

When do you make it stop?

It will not stop. It brings up ethics which is a never ending question. Ethics always lags behind technological development.

For a cyberdroid, does essence proceed existence or vice versa? Would this define a sentient being?

To answer your question as best as I can, this is the way I handled it. In my book, when a cyberdroid is born, brought on-line, she is just a sophisticated walking and talking machine, which has to be gently guided toward her own emergence. Sentience is a process with a final line to cross. It’s like a mushroom effect. She is gaining all this knowledge and she’s learning how to deal with things and then a critical mass is reached, resulting in a mushroom effect. That’s how I handled it.

Do you think a cyberdroid race should have full human rights?

Once they cross the sentience threshold, they should have the same rights as all humans. When they can show creativity and self awareness, they should have such rights.

What is anime?

Anime is the Japanese word for animation. We use it here in the states to denote animation from Japan. Things like Star Blazers and Robotech where imports from Japan in the late ‘70ies early eighties.

The video looked like some of the stuff you see on Cartoon Network.

True, but this video was made 13 years ago. Cartoon Network does carry some. The amount of anime coming out of Japan has exploded in the past decade.

What was the first anime you ever saw?

The first anime I ever saw was Black Magic M-66.

What was the answer to the bonus question?

When Namu pushes Sylvie and Anri into the shuttle, she gets hit in the back. There’s a momentary ark of electricity running along the piece of metal protruding from her back. Yeah, you had to be really paying attention to notice that.