Jun 13
Pickford Film Center Bellingham, WA
TicketsDr. Caroline Hardin, PhD
Associate Professor and Director of the Computer Science Education Program, Western Washington University
After Yang— My Robot Has a First Name: Our Emotional Bonds With Technology
Program Description
Robotics has been a growing scientific field for decades but has exploded in the last few years, and could soon impact nearly every facet of everyday life. The implication of this growth goes beyond simple mechanical and factory work, with proposals for expansions into education and childcare being promised by companies and governments around the world. Dr. Caroline D. Hardin will examine these scientific and cultural developments through a deeply human lens, including what this could mean for our growth, relationships, and the bonds we share with one another.
Film Synopsis
In a near future, a family reckons with questions of love, connection, and loss after their A.I. helper unexpectedly breaks down.
When his young daughter's beloved companion — an android named Yang — malfunctions, Jake (Colin Farrell) searches for a way to repair him. In the process, Jake discovers the life that has been passing in front of him, reconnecting with his wife (Jodie Turner-Smith) and daughter across a distance he didn't know was there.
Photo credit: A24
About the Speaker
Dr. Caroline D. Hardin is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and the director of the Computer Science Education program at Western Washington University. She studied computer science at University of Wisconsin-Madison before joining the Peace Corps, where she taught computer literacy in Ghana for 3 years. She worked in a variety of technology education roles before completing her PhD in Computer Science Education and moving to Bellingham, Washington with her family. Her current research centers on educational robotics, CS teacher preparation, and AI's impact on education. She enjoys doing electronic textiles at the Bellingham Makerspace.