In recent years, it has become commonplace to hear that new technologies are threatening humanity–that “we” must struggle to “stay human” in the face of novel threats ranging from autonomous weapons to addictive social media apps and gene editing to generative AI. At the same time, the “AI boom” has raised profound questions about creativity as an essentially human trait and inspired widespread concern about AI impacts on human and nonhuman environments–or all creation.

Observers often describe the moral and existential challenges that such innovations present as new and unprecedented. But, in fact the concern is at least several centuries old.

Drawing on canonical works of literature, philosophy, and cinema, this course will offer an introduction to the long history of thinking about, and working with, new technologies in the arts and humanities. In addition to close reading and analysis, students will engage in a series of “critical making” projects using historical artifacts housed in Harvard’s collections and brand-new generative AI tools developed specifically for us. The final assignment will be a short paper that reflects on one of these creative endeavors and connects it to course themes.