A year has passed since the promotional launch of ChatGPT, and artificial intelligence has become a looming presence in public imagination. It sits beside climate change, meteor strikes, and solar flares as a force that could disrupt daily life by affecting the circuits and systems people depend on. The shadow of artificial intelligence reappears in science fiction in many forms, and at the 42nd Festival of Fantasy Genres held in Barcelona, the conversation leaned between technophilia and technophobia, with a tilt toward the former in this genre.
The idea of artificial intelligence has long inhabited science fiction through robots, androids, cyborgs, and intelligent systems in various combinations. A UPC professor and writer, Manuel Moreno, notes the ongoing presence of scientific ideas within fiction. Author Lola Robles adds that attempts to predict fiction often mislead, and the familiar frame is a threat to humanity, a recurring motif that surfaces again and again.
The theme of danger—rebellion by machines—has accompanied humanity’s technological development. From the early warnings about robots and oppression seen in Blade Runner to the idea of AIs with independent ideas in Arthur C. Clarke’s works, readers have imagined futures where machines challenge human control. Other popular references include narratives about autonomous intelligences and supercomputers, and plots where humans project their fears onto these technologies. Yet the current discussion moves beyond the old dream of a single villain. Artificial intelligence is appearing as a pervasive network, more abstract and increasingly real in everyday life.
skepticism
Within the festival discourse, Ada Hoffmann’s trilogy is cited as portraying artificial intelligence as a new kind of villain that challenges human supremacy. Some works even present opposing arcs, such as John David Washington’s latest film, The Creator, which invites skepticism about the tech’s implications. Ann Leckie, an acclaimed author, has argued that ChatGPT should not be dismissed as mere illusion, emphasizing its potential impact on society. The conversation often turns to whether AI represents an existential threat or simply exposes deeper questions about human behavior and responsibility. The central question is how people relate to AI and what this relationship reveals about human aims and ethics.
Ada Hoffmann also contributes insights from academic and literary work. She notes that while fiction can explore AI, the real world’s trajectory is not guaranteed to follow fiction’s dramatic paths. Tech companies may amplify fears to attract attention and funding, yet the true capabilities of current AI systems mainly revolve around recognizing patterns in language rather than possessing grounded understanding of the world. The debate often centers on whether these tools will ever achieve true autonomy, and whether fear is a driver of investment and sensationalism versus practical, thoughtful development.
Pedagogy
In collaboration with AI expert Marta R. Costa-Jussà, MJ Bausà authored a young adult novel featuring teenagers directly interacting with artificial intelligence. The narrative frames a human-centered antidote to fear: education and understanding are essential to navigate a landscape shaped by powerful technologies. The story argues that what we do not understand appears dangerous, and that blending advanced tech with informed wary inquiry can prevent misuse. The aim is to reframe what people think machines are and what they can do, inviting readers to examine responsibility, ethics, and the role of human agency in a tech-driven world.
In another thread, Tamayo, a chemist and economist, has published a novel about a distant future where a society entrusts its daily decisions to an artificial intelligence named H. The scenario highlights both the perceived benefits and the costs of such delegation. The discussion acknowledges that ChatGPT and similar tools have sharpened the debate within academia, while still remaining in the realm of what is considered weak AI today—systems that excel at specific tasks but lack broad, cross-domain understanding. The possibility of rapid leaps toward stronger AI remains a topic of debate, with some predicting a near-term singularity and others urging caution, given current limitations and the need for robust governance.
Tannia R. Tamayo notes the evolving landscape where private companies increasingly drive AI capabilities, while governments struggle to sustain long-term investments. As research talent migrates toward the private sector, science fiction remains a crucial platform for posing questions that science cannot answer and for proposing alternative futures. While some ideas may fade, others could become reality, depending on how society shapes and adopts these technologies.
Hoffmann concludes that there is no single trend in how science fiction approaches AI. The field benefits from exploring multiple avenues, with a growing emphasis on how technology affects human values, current ethics, and future predictions. Issues such as biased data, the impact of automation on jobs, and responsible use will continue to fuel thoughtful fiction in the years ahead.
Robles remains optimistic about the potential of AI to assist people, including those with visual impairments. She argues that artificial intelligences are created by humans and carry the emotions and biases of their creators. The conversation, including insights from Cat Rambo, recognizes the complexity of AI: perhaps the central issue is not AI itself but who controls it and how its power is used.