Our Tech, AI and Society Dialogues 

Anthropos Technicus 
(ἄνθρωπος τεχνικός) 

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, July 8th 2025
Hours: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: McGill Downtown Campus, Leacock Building, room 110. See map here.

This event is open to the public. Please scroll down to secure your seat.

A shared resources site for Anthropos Technicus readings and other resources has been set up on the Discord app at https://discord.gg/huCCw5CR3C. Please join us!!

Series Description 

This series will delve into the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies that call into question conventional distinctions between human beings and machines. By exploring thought-provoking books and films, we aim to foster engaging discussions and critical thought about the impact of technology on our lives. Each session will focus on a specific work, using it as a springboard to discuss contemporary issues and concerns. 

Session 5: Blade Runner - More Human than Human?

Overview: Given that the summer season has started, our discussions will take their cue from relevant, critically acclaimed films. 

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982 theatrical release) reimagines Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) as a neo-noir meditation on humanity, the ethical and metaphysical status of humanoids (“replicants”), and the role of memory in the formation of human and personal identity. In this session, we’ll discuss the film’s exploration of AI ethics, corporate power and hubris, and what it means to be “human.” 

Discussion Points:

• Humanity vs. Artificial Life: Can (should?) replicants, with their emotions and desires, claim personhood?
• Ethics of Creation: What responsibilities do creators (like Tyrell) owe to their creations?
• Legacy of Frankenstein: How does Blade Runner reinterpret Shelley’s themes of hubris and abandonment?
• Modern Relevance: Parallels to AI rights, animal rights, deepfakes, and corporate control over technology.
• Visual Storytelling: The film’s cyberpunk aesthetic and its commentary on urbanization/climate collapse.

Recommended Materials:

• Watch Blade Runner: The Final Cut (2007). McGill students and staff could access the movie through the McGill Library
• Optional reading: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) by Philip K. Dick (available in Overdrive and epub formats in the McGill Library)

NOTE: Please be aware that the film contains some violent scenes that some viewers may find disturbing.

Why Attend?

• Debate the moral responsibilities of creators toward their “creatures.”
• Explore how Blade Runner’s dystopian 2019 mirrors our tech-driven present.
• Connect Shelley’s Frankenstein to modern AI ethics through an interdisciplinary lens.

Additional Notes:

• A short slide presentation will frame key themes and scenes.
• A private recording (for internal notes only) will be made; it will not be shared publicly.
• No prior viewing required—come as you are!

This session is open to all!

Our Dialecticians:

Dr. Sue Laver  

Inaugural director of the McGill Writing Centre and former SCS Associate Dean, Academic and Faculty Affairs, Sue is a Frankenstein devotee. Her interest in Frankenstein began when she first watched her now longstanding favourite “Frankensteinian” film Blade Runner upon its theatrical release in 1982. A lecturer for many years in McGill’s Department of English, Sue has guided hundreds of students through Frankenstein’s philosophical complexities and its afterlife in popular culture, with emphasis on the metaphysical and ethical status of the Monster and its technological descendants. 

Mr Nabil Beitinjaneh

Business Strategist and AI/ML/Analytics Expert. Faculty Lecturer @ the McGill School of Continuing Studies, focused on adult learners who want to upskill, guiding learners on their journey to become AI-savvy change-makers. Nabil is engaged in leadership, strategy and organizational development through events, training, and his service with non-for-profit organizations. He is an Ambassador for TechAide which supports Centraide of Greater Montreal and the president of Le centre culturel syrien.

Shape the Conversation
Our Tech, AI and Society Dialogues (Anthropos Technicus) invites experts and enthusiasts to serve as a Dialectician. Lead one session, guiding a discussion on a book or topic that explores technology's human impact. To propose a topic or learn more, reach out to Sue or Nabil at the event.
 

This event is a collaboration between the McGill School of Continuing Studies,  the McGill Computational and Data Systems Initiative and the McGill Collaborative for AI & Society.