Nina Beguš: Artificial Humanities

In this episode of the Artificiality Podcast, host Helen and guest Nina Beguš explore the transformative potential of 'Artificial Humanities'—a new interdisciplinary field that bridges literature, philosophy, and AI. Beguš, a literary scholar from UC Berkeley, argues that fictional narratives, particularly the enduring Pygmalion myth, have deeply shaped the design and cultural perception of AI systems like virtual assistants. She traces how stories from 'Her' and 'Ex Machina' to Shaw's 'Pygmalion' inform today’s AI development, embedding gendered, hierarchical, and relational expectations into technology. The conversation critiques the narrow imagination of AI futures, driven by a limited set of science fiction tropes, and calls for a more inclusive, humanistic approach to technology creation. Beguš emphasizes that AI is not just a technical tool but a cultural artifact, and that the humanities must be central to its evolution—not as an afterthought, but as a co-creator. She shares her vision of a future where AI is designed with ethical, cultural, and planetary awareness, supported by collaborative projects like Latent Spacecraft and interdisciplinary research with Earth system scientists. The episode underscores the urgent need for a 'minimally viable ethical stance'—a commitment to informed engagement with AI, even if one chooses not to participate directly. Beguš highlights the power of storytelling in shaping public discourse and product design, citing examples from tech leaders like Jack Clark and the growing role of fiction in ethical reflection. She calls for a diversification of AI narratives, advocating for culturally situated models and public-interest AI, rather than the dominant market-driven 'helpful assistant' archetype. Ultimately, the conversation is a rallying cry for the humanities to reclaim their role in shaping the future, not by resisting technology, but by enriching it with depth, meaning, and imagination.