Technocritique and its limits: Éric Sadin on human dignity in the face of artificial intelligence
Technocritique and its limits: Éric Sadin on human dignity in the face of artificial intelligence
Examining the work of French writer, philosopher, and ‘technocritic’ Éric Sadin, with a particular focus on his fears regarding artificial intelligence systems’ infiltration into numerous facets of human affairs, their imposition of a ‘universal technical principle’ upon all aspects of our lives, and their anthropomorphic and alētheic characteristics, this article argues that whilst Sadin’s polemical writings provide a useful corrective to more celebratory accounts of such technological developments, his reliance on an uncritical and largely unexamined humanism detracts from their efficacy. Extolling the virtues of a European tradition of thought centred on an ideal of human agency, mastery, and finitude – in short, self-determination – Sadin posits a benchmark against which any manifestation of the technical (la technique) can only appear as an impediment to the full flourishing of our autonomy.
Éric Sadin, artificial intelligence, automation, critique, digital media, humanism, technology
Sutherland, Thomas
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Sutherland, Thomas
a9a8e23c-232e-47ca-9be6-abeac690bfb2
Sutherland, Thomas
(2025)
Technocritique and its limits: Éric Sadin on human dignity in the face of artificial intelligence.
French Cultural Studies.
(doi:10.1177/09571558251358691).
Abstract
Examining the work of French writer, philosopher, and ‘technocritic’ Éric Sadin, with a particular focus on his fears regarding artificial intelligence systems’ infiltration into numerous facets of human affairs, their imposition of a ‘universal technical principle’ upon all aspects of our lives, and their anthropomorphic and alētheic characteristics, this article argues that whilst Sadin’s polemical writings provide a useful corrective to more celebratory accounts of such technological developments, his reliance on an uncritical and largely unexamined humanism detracts from their efficacy. Extolling the virtues of a European tradition of thought centred on an ideal of human agency, mastery, and finitude – in short, self-determination – Sadin posits a benchmark against which any manifestation of the technical (la technique) can only appear as an impediment to the full flourishing of our autonomy.
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Accepted/In Press date: 10 June 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 13 July 2025
Keywords:
Éric Sadin, artificial intelligence, automation, critique, digital media, humanism, technology
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Local EPrints ID: 503293
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503293
ISSN: 0957-1558
PURE UUID: 2027f9f5-2d47-4c01-95aa-6e7cdb29b2dd
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Date deposited: 28 Jul 2025 16:47
Last modified: 29 Jul 2025 03:05
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Thomas Sutherland
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