Adrienne Mayor (Stanford), "Gods and Robots: Ancient Dreams of Technology"

Long before technology made robots possible, Greek mythology envisioned ideas about creating artificial life—and grappled with ethical concerns about technology. As early as Homer, Greeks imagined robotic servants, animated statues, and even ancient versions of artificial intelligence. Many sophisticated robotic devices were actually built in antiquity, reaching a climax with the creation of a host of self-moving devices and automatons in the ancient city of learning, Alexandria, the original Silicon Valley. Join Adrienne Mayor as she explores how some of today’s most advanced innovations in robotics and AI were foreshadowed in ancient myth.

Adrienne Mayor is a research scholar in the Classics Department and History and Philosophy of Science Program, and a Berggruen Fellow 2018-19, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford. Her new book "Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology” explores the timeless quest for artificial life; previous books include "The Amazons,” and “The Poison King” (National Book Award nonfiction finalist 2010).