Name: Chappie + panel discussion | Science. Art. Film.
Start: 2024-06-05T18:00:00+10:00
Location: NFSA Canberra

Chappie + panel discussion | Science. Art. Film.

Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, and Sigourney Weaver star in this sci-fi action drama from Neill Blomkamp, the director of District 9. The human police force in a near-future Johannesburg is largely replaced by robots, deployed to tackle soaring crime rates. When a stolen robot, dubbed Chappie, receives artificial intelligence, he develops sentience and faces a choice between sides.

Are robots superior to humans? What role does humour play in this exploration of AI-driven technological progress – and is it progress after all? After the film, join us for an insightful panel discussion that will examine both Chappie’s comic robot and its portrayal of artificial intelligence and social order.
Panellists:
Dr Fabien Medvecky is an Associate Professor in Science Communication at the Australian National University’s (ANU) Centre for the Public Awareness of Science. He works on the role and place of values – especially ethical and economic values – in social discussions and decisions around science and technology. Fabien has a long-standing interest in the notion of Responsible Innovation and how innovations shape and are shaped by social interactions.
Dr Terhi Nurmikko-Fuller is an Associate Professor at POLIS, the Centre for Social Policy and Research at the ANU. Her interdisciplinary research looks at how digital technologies, algorithms and computational tools interact with (and affect!) human society.
Moderator:
Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science and the Head of the Popsicule – ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub. Her research explores the cultural meanings of science in pop cultural media.