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Abstract Some of the earliest science-fiction literature to imagine humans' long-term relationship with machines portrayed technology as a kind of caregiver for humans. The retrofuturist vision of machine care is poised to become reality, as the world of the 2020s is experiencing both incredible advances in AI technology as well as demographic changes that, together, make such systems seem at once possible and necessary. Tracing the key themes from our literary and cultural imagination and framing them against the technical progress in the field of AI alignment reveals insights and lessons for us as we approach the prospect of bringing certain forms of computational care to life. In so doing, they provide not only practical guidance but also give us an opportunity to sharpen our intuitions about the nature of human care itself.

Original publication

DOI

10.1162/daed_a_02131

Type

Journal article

Journal

Daedalus

Publisher

MIT Press

Publication Date

01/02/2025

Volume

154

Pages

183 - 197