Homo Machina: a inteligência artificial humana em Detroit: Become Human

Abstract

This work aimed to analyze the presence of the concept of latent humanity in the androids of the game Detroit: Become Human (2018). Initially, this dissertation discussed the history of the video game by pointing out where it came from and where it possibly goes. Then, it was considered a theoretical capital of the Game Studies that discussed mainly notions of narrative and gameplay, as for example Ribeiro (2011) and Sodré (1988), and Ergodic Literature, as Aarseth (1997). Next, several theories were raised to think about what makes human beings what they really are, reaching the conception of humanity. From there, ten characteristics were defined, resulting from the cognitive capacities of the human brain necessary to architect humanity. In addition, we sought to define and distinguish machine and android in order to get at Tomaz Tadeu's definition of cyborg (2009). After this conceptual summary, during a review from the first to the last chapter of the game, aspects that build humanity in Detroit's androids were listed, making possible their evolution to the cyborgs’ state (called deviants in diegesis): a new hybrid creature, result of a synthetic body and a genuinely human mind. Finally, it was concluded that within the branched diegesis, among the several possible paths, the one chosen by the player was the one that most allowed this study to consider the divergent as a new way of life, whose rights must be guaranteed. Thus, this study maintained two perspectives of academic contribution in its discussion horizon: the first would be to map the concept of humanity, serving as a possible suggestion of how to deal with artificial intelligence in the future, and the second would be to stimulate the cultivation of the individual's humanity.